NCERT Book Class 9 Social Science (Understanding Society India and Beyond PART-I) Chapter 4 Early Humans and Beginning of Civilisation

Chapter 4

Early Humans and Beginning
of Civilisation

The Big Questions
1. How did humans live on Earth before the beginning of civilisation?
2. How did humans communicate before writing was invented?
3. How is archaeology helpful in understanding our past?
4. How did early civilisations interact with each other?

In previous grades, we have studied the history of various kingdoms
and empires, and also learned about the Sindhu–Sarasvatī
civilisation. However, the history of humanity goes back much
further. In this chapter, we will explore who our earliest ancestors
were, when and where they evolved, what kinds of food they ate,
how they lived, and how they became what we are today.
The period before the development of writing is understood mainly
through archaeological evidence, as written languages emerged at
different times in different parts of the world.
One of the earliest known writing systems is associated with the
Sindhu–Sarasvatī, also known as the Indus Valley Civilisation or the
Harappan Civilisation. Writings and engravings found on objects such
as seals and pottery, indicate that the Harappans used a pictographic
script for writing. However, it has not yet been deciphered. As a
result, we still do not understand the Harappan script, also referred
to as Sindhu lipi.
Other early writing systems include the cuneiform script of
the Sumerians in Mesopotamia and the hieroglyphic script of
ancient Egypt, both of which flourished around the same time as
the Harappan Civilisation. Unlike the Harappan script, these scripts
have been deciphered and mark the beginning of the historical
period, about 5000 years ago. You will learn more about them later
in the chapter.