Hinglish

How Do We Learn About the Past?

Class 6 Social Science · Chapter 4: Timeline and Sources of History · NCERT Exploring Society: India and Beyond section 4.1

Learn

What is the earliest thing you remember? Maybe a birthday, or your first day at school, five or six years ago. Those memories are part of your past. Ishaan's grandmother remembers things from sixty years ago! But how do we know about times thousands of years ago, when no one alive today was there?

History is the study of the human past. The Earth itself is about 4.5 billion years old, and humans occupy only a tiny, most recent part of that long story. Understanding the past helps us understand why the world around us is the way it is today.

Many experts help us uncover the past. Geologists study rocks, soil, mountains and rivers. Palaeontologists study fossils: remains of plants and animals preserved in rock. Anthropologists study human societies and cultures. Archaeologists dig up and study objects and buildings left by people long ago.

Historians work like detectives. They collect clues, compare them, and slowly piece together the story of what happened, when, and why. When clues disagree, they look for more evidence before deciding.

Explore: who studies what?

  1. Sort each job.

Remember

  • History is the study of the human past, a tiny recent part of Earth's long history.
  • Geologists, palaeontologists, anthropologists and archaeologists all help us learn about the past.

Quick check

Who studies fossils of ancient plants and animals?

  1. A palaeontologist
  2. A geologist
  3. An astronaut
  4. A banker
Answer

A palaeontologist. Palaeontologists study fossils; archaeologists study human-made objects.

Think about it

How can understanding the past help us understand the present?

One answer

Many things today, like our languages, festivals, foods, towns and even problems, grew out of what happened earlier. Knowing their story helps us understand them and make better choices.

Practice

Practise with fresh questions at three levels (easy, medium, hard), some answered hands-on, with hints and worked answers. Get 4 of your last 5 right to finish the topic.