CBSE Class 6 Social Science Timeline and Sources of History Worksheet Set 02

Fill in the Blanks

Question. The lack of a year zero in the Gregorian calendar means that between 4 BCE and 4 CE, only _________ years have passed.
Answer: 7
Explanation: Since the timeline jumps straight from 1 BCE to 1 CE without a zero year, you count 4 + 4 - 1 = 7 years.

Question. _________ study human societies and cultures from the earliest times to the present.
Answer: Anthropologists
Explanation: Anthropologists are scientists who explore how humans have lived, worked, and celebrated cultures over time.

Question. The first specimens of rock art in the world date back to around ________ BCE.
Answer: 40,000
Explanation: Tens of thousands of years ago, early people began painting animals and handprints on cave walls.

Question. The year 1857 CE can also be expressed as _________.
Answer: 1857 AD
Explanation: CE (Common Era) and AD (Anno Domini) refer to the exact same period on our modern calendar.

Question. Early humans were mainly ________ and ________ for their sustenance.
Answer: hunters, gatherers
Explanation: Before farming was invented, people survived by hunting wild animals and collecting fruits and nuts.

Question. A ________ is a book of tables which shows the days of each month along with related astronomical data.
Answer: panchanga
Explanation: A panchanga is a traditional Indian calendar that tracks the moon, stars, festivals, and seasons.

Question. In history, a period of 100 years is termed a ________.
Answer: century
Explanation: Just like a cricket batsman scores a century with 100 runs, a period of 100 years is called a century.

True or False

Question. A panchanga is an Indian astronomical almanac that can forecast events like solar eclipses and timings for festivals.
Answer: True
Explanation: By tracking the sun, moon, and stars, a panchanga can tell exact dates for eclipses and holidays.

Question. Paleontologists are experts who mainly study ancient written manuscripts and inscriptions.
Answer: False
Explanation: Paleontologists dig up ancient animal bones and fossils, not written books or scrolls.

Question. The Gregorian calendar is based on the Western concept of time.
Answer: True
Explanation: It was developed in Europe and counts years starting from the birth of Jesus Christ.

Question. Early humans didn’t believe in life after death.
Answer: False
Explanation: Early humans buried their dead with tools, flowers, and ornaments, showing they believed in an afterlife.

Question. To calculate the number of years between a date in BCE and a date in CE, you should just add the two year numbers together.
Answer: False
Explanation: Because there is no year zero, you have to add both numbers and subtract 1 to get the right number of years.

Question. Geologists study the fossils of plants, animals, and humans from millions of years ago.
Answer: False
Explanation: Paleontologists specialize in ancient fossils, while geologists study rocks and landforms.

Question. The Gregorian calendar is the only calendar that has ever been used to track time.
Answer: False
Explanation: Many other calendars exist and are still used, such as the Islamic, Saka, and Chinese calendars.

Questions / Assertion / Reason

Question. Assertion (A): Sometimes CE is used in place of AD and BC.
Reason (R): The letters CE stands for ‘common era’ because the Christian era is now used in most countries.
Options:
(a) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(b) Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(c) (A) is true but (R) is false.
(d) (A) is false but (R) is true.
Answer: (a) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
Explanation: People use "Common Era" (CE) because people all over the world share this calendar today.

Question. Assertion (A): The Gregorian calendar is the only calendar used worldwide.
Reason (R): It identifies the years based on the conventional date of Jesus Christ’s birth.
Options:
(a) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(b) Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(c) (A) is correct but (R) is wrong.
(d) (A) is wrong but (R) is correct.
Answer: (c) (A) is correct but (R) is wrong.
Explanation: The question's given answer key considers (c), though many regional calendars like lunar calendars also exist.

Question. Assertion (A): Archaeologists play a vital role in reconstructing the history of human societies.
Reason (R): Archaeologists study fossils to understand the physical characteristics of ancient humans.
Codes:
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true, but R is false
(d) A is false, but R is true
Answer: (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
Explanation: Archaeologists dig up ancient ruins and human remains to explain how communities lived long ago.

Question. Assertion (A): Early humans communicated using languages that are now lost.
Reason (R): They used fire and made stone tools for their living.
Options:
(a) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(b) Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(c) (A) is correct but (R) is wrong.
(d) (A) is wrong but (R) is correct.
Answer: (b) Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
Explanation: Early humans indeed made fire and had spoken sounds, but using fire does not explain how their languages got lost.

Questions / Short Question Answers

Question. Define a millennium timeframe.
Answer: A period of 1,000 years is known as a millennium.
Explanation: A millennium is a huge block of time made up of one thousand years.

Question. What do anthropologists examine?
Answer: They study human societies and cultures, from ancient times till the present.
Explanation: Anthropologists study how humans live, talk, celebrate, and interact in groups.

Question. What do archaeologists examine?
Answer: They study human, animal, and plant history through artifacts and physical remains.
Explanation: Archaeologists discover old pottery, broken tools, and buried buildings to see how people lived.

Question. What mechanical advancements did early humans develop?
Answer: Early humans developed tools such as improved stone axes, sharp blades, and clay pottery.
Explanation: Early people were smart inventors who made better knives from stones and bowls from clay.

Question. What materials can historians use to study ancient civilisations?
Answer: Historians use many sources, including artifacts, inscriptions, literature, and scientific analyses.
Explanation: They read old books, look at carving on stones, and test soil to understand ancient kings and queens.

Question. How do historians resolve contradictory sources?
Answer: Historians evaluate the available evidence and cross-verify details with other sources to determine authenticity.
Explanation: When two stories disagree, historians check other clues to see which story is true, just like a clever detective.

Question. How do calendars traditionally function in India?
Answer: Indian calendars often use astronomical data, such as movements of the sun and moon, to calculate dates and predict events like eclipses and festivals.
Explanation: Traditional Indian calendars watch the moon and stars to tell us when Diwali or Holi will arrive.

Question. What function do newspapers and electronic media play in studying recent history?
Answer: Newspapers and electronic media provide rich records and reports for studying recent history, especially events from the last few decades.
Explanation: Today’s newspapers and videos show us exactly what happened yesterday and in our parents' childhood.

Question. Name any three specialists who are trained to uncover secrets beneath the Earth’s surface to teach us about the past.
Answer:
• Geologists: They study the physical features of the Earth, like rocks, minerals, and mountains.
• Paleontologists: They study the fossilized remains of ancient plants and animals.
• Archaeologists: They study human remains, tools, pottery, beads, figurines, and buildings.
Explanation: These scientists dig deep into the earth to find buried clues about our world's past.

Question. How is the initiation of a new era marked?
Answer: The beginning of a new era is usually marked by the birth of an important figure or the start of a monarch's reign.
Explanation: When a great king came to power or an important teacher was born, people would start counting year 1 all over again.

Question. Distinguish between Common Era and Before Common Era.
Answer: Common Era (CE) marks the years following the birth of Jesus Christ, while Before Common Era (BCE) refers to all the years prior to the birth of Jesus.
Explanation: BCE counts backward into the past, while CE counts forward toward today.

Question. How is modern scientific research contributing to studying the past?
Answer: Scientific research helps in several ways:
• It analyzes ancient climate conditions.
• It performs chemical testing on excavated tools and pottery.
• It studies the genetics and DNA of ancient human populations.
Explanation: Science labs use high-tech machines to test tiny particles of dirt and DNA to discover hidden facts.

Vocabulary Activity - "Guess the Word"

Question. Who investigates the physical features of the Earth like soil and mountains?
Answer: Geologists.
Explanation: Geologists are rock scientists who love studying the ground, hills, and stones under our feet.

Question. What are the preserved traces or impressions of ancient plants or animals found in rocks called?
Answer: Fossils.
Explanation: A fossil is like a nature stamp left in stone by a plant or animal that lived ages ago.