CHAPTER 4: EARLY HUMANS AND BEGINNING OF CIVILISATION
50 MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS (MCQs)
Q1. What is the main source of information about human history before the invention of writing?
(A) Newspapers
(B) Printed books
(C) Archaeological evidence
(D) Modern government records
Answer: (C) Archaeological evidence
Q2. Where did the earliest human ancestors evolve?
(A) Africa
(B) Europe
(C) Australia
(D) North America
Answer: (A) Africa
Q3. Which early human ancestor was the first hominin to leave Africa, according to the chapter?
(A) Homo sapiens
(B) Homo habilis
(C) Homo neanderthalensis
(D) Homo erectus
Answer: (D) Homo erectus
Q4. Around when did Homo sapiens evolve in Africa?
(A) 2 million years ago
(B) Around 300,000 years ago
(C) 12,000 years ago
(D) 5,000 years ago
Answer: (B) Around 300,000 years ago
Q5. What is a fossil?
(A) A modern stone tool
(B) A written historical document
(C) Preserved remains, traces or impressions of ancient plants, animals or humans
(D) A structure built by early farmers
Answer: (C) Preserved remains, traces or impressions of ancient plants, animals or humans
Q6. Which early human species is associated with the use of handaxes and cleavers?
(A) Homo erectus
(B) Homo sapiens only
(C) Modern humans only
(D) Homo neanderthalensis only
Answer: (A) Homo erectus
Q7. Which early human ancestor is commonly described as “handy man”?
(A) Homo erectus
(B) Homo sapiens
(C) Homo neanderthalensis
(D) Homo habilis
Answer: (D) Homo habilis
Q8. Which period is also known as the Old Stone Age?
(A) Neolithic
(B) Palaeolithic
(C) Chalcolithic
(D) Bronze Age
Answer: (B) Palaeolithic
Q9. Which type of tools is associated with the Mesolithic period?
(A) Iron ploughs
(B) Bronze swords
(C) Microlithic tools
(D) Steel tools
Answer: (C) Microlithic tools
Q10. Which period is associated with the transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture?
(A) Neolithic
(B) Iron Age
(C) Bronze Age
(D) Palaeolithic
Answer: (A) Neolithic
Q11. What was a major feature of the Neolithic Revolution?
(A) The invention of paper currency
(B) The development of iron railways
(C) The beginning of modern factories
(D) The domestication of plants and animals
Answer: (D) The domestication of plants and animals
Q12. What does the term “Chalcolithic” refer to?
(A) The Iron Age
(B) The Copper and Stone Age
(C) The New Stone Age
(D) The Old Stone Age
Answer: (B) The Copper and Stone Age
Q13. Bronze is made by mixing which metals?
(A) Iron and zinc
(B) Gold and silver
(C) Copper and tin
(D) Aluminium and copper
Answer: (C) Copper and tin
Q14. Which development was characteristic of the Iron Age?
(A) Widespread use of iron metallurgy
(B) Exclusive use of unworked stones
(C) The beginning of hunting and gathering
(D) The disappearance of agriculture
Answer: (A) Widespread use of iron metallurgy
Q15. Which archaeological site in Tamil Nadu is dated to approximately 1.5–1.7 million years ago?
(A) Mehrgarh
(B) Kalibangan
(C) Dholavira
(D) Attirampakkam
Answer: (D) Attirampakkam
Q16. Which site is identified in the chapter as the oldest Neolithic site in the north-western Indian subcontinent?
(A) Lothal
(B) Mehrgarh
(C) Mohenjo-daro
(D) Harappa
Answer: (B) Mehrgarh
Q17. Around which date did the Neolithic agricultural village at Mehrgarh begin?
(A) 2600 BCE
(B) 3500 BCE
(C) 7000 BCE
(D) 1000 BCE
Answer: (C) 7000 BCE
Q18. Which crops were cultivated by the people of Mehrgarh?
(A) Wheat and barley
(B) Tea and coffee
(C) Cotton and tea only
(D) Rubber and cocoa
Answer: (A) Wheat and barley
Q19. Which civilisation is also known as the Indus Valley or Harappan Civilisation?
(A) Egyptian civilisation
(B) Chinese civilisation
(C) Mesopotamian civilisation
(D) Sindhu–Sarasvatī civilisation
Answer: (D) Sindhu–Sarasvatī civilisation
Q20. Which statement about the Harappan script is correct?
(A) It was written only on papyrus.
(B) It has not yet been deciphered.
(C) It was the same as modern Hindi.
(D) It was fully deciphered by Hammurabi.
Answer: (B) It has not yet been deciphered.
Q21. Around which date did the Mature Harappan civilisation emerge?
(A) 7000 BCE
(B) 4500 BCE
(C) 2600 BCE
(D) 600 BCE
Answer: (C) 2600 BCE
Q22. Which system of weights was used by the Harappans for smaller units?
(A) A binary multiple system such as 1, 2, 4, 8 and 16
(B) A system based only on fractions of 100
(C) An unstandardised system without fixed values
(D) A system based only on Roman numerals
Answer: (A) A binary multiple system such as 1, 2, 4, 8 and 16
Q23. What was one important feature of Harappan agriculture at Kalibangan?
(A) Exclusive cultivation of tea
(B) Complete dependence on hunting
(C) Use of only iron tractors
(D) Furrows indicating double-crop cultivation
Answer: (D) Furrows indicating double-crop cultivation
Q24. Which Harappan site is noted in the chapter for its elaborate water-harvesting system?
(A) Harappa
(B) Dholavira
(C) Mehrgarh
(D) Burzahom
Answer: (B) Dholavira
Q25. Which Harappan site is known for its dockyard built using burnt bricks?
(A) Kalibangan
(B) Rakhigarhi
(C) Lothal
(D) Mehrgarh
Answer: (C) Lothal
Q26. Which were the four major early world civilisations discussed in the chapter?
(A) Sindhu–Sarasvatī, Mesopotamian, Egyptian and Chinese
(B) Greek, Roman, Persian and European
(C) Maya, Inca, Aztec and Roman
(D) Japanese, Korean, Greek and Roman
Answer: (A) Sindhu–Sarasvatī, Mesopotamian, Egyptian and Chinese
Q27. Between which two rivers did Mesopotamia develop?
(A) Nile and Amazon
(B) Huang He and Yangtze
(C) Indus and Ganga
(D) Euphrates and Tigris
Answer: (D) Euphrates and Tigris
Q28. What does the name “Mesopotamia” mean?
(A) Land of the rising Sun
(B) Land in between
(C) Land of pyramids
(D) Land of the black soil
Answer: (B) Land in between
Q29. Which civilisation was the earliest to develop into a city-based civilisation in Mesopotamia?
(A) Babylonian
(B) Assyrian
(C) Sumerian
(D) Egyptian
Answer: (C) Sumerian
Q30. Which writing system was developed by the Sumerians?
(A) Cuneiform
(B) Brahmi
(C) Hieroglyphic
(D) Devanagari
Answer: (A) Cuneiform
Q31. How was cuneiform writing made?
(A) By painting letters on silk
(B) By carving letters only on iron plates
(C) By printing characters on paper
(D) By pressing a wedge-shaped stylus into soft clay tablets
Answer: (D) By pressing a wedge-shaped stylus into soft clay tablets
Q32. What was a ziggurat?
(A) A type of agricultural tool
(B) A stepped, pyramid-shaped temple
(C) A system of underground irrigation pipes
(D) A Mesopotamian writing instrument
Answer: (B) A stepped, pyramid-shaped temple
Q33. Which ruler is associated with the compilation known as the Code of Hammurabi?
(A) Sargon
(B) Ashoka
(C) Hammurabi
(D) Champollion
Answer: (C) Hammurabi
Q34. Which civilisation developed along the Nile River?
(A) Egyptian civilisation
(B) Chinese civilisation
(C) Mesopotamian civilisation
(D) Sindhu–Sarasvatī civilisation
Answer: (A) Egyptian civilisation
Q35. What did the ancient Egyptians call their land, meaning “the black”?
(A) Mesopotamia
(B) Dilmun
(C) Magan
(D) Kemet
Answer: (D) Kemet
Q36. Which river’s annual floods deposited fertile mud that supported Egyptian agriculture?
(A) Tigris
(B) Nile
(C) Huang He
(D) Sarasvatī
Answer: (B) Nile
Q37. Which stone helped scholars decipher Egyptian hieroglyphic writing?
(A) Hammurabi Stone
(B) Sanchi Stone
(C) Rosetta Stone
(D) Ashokan Stone
Answer: (C) Rosetta Stone
Q38. Who deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphic writing in 1822?
(A) Jean-François Champollion
(B) Herodotus
(C) Hammurabi
(D) Sargon
Answer: (A) Jean-François Champollion
Q39. What was a mastaba in ancient Egypt?
(A) A clay tablet used for writing
(B) A system of canals
(C) A type of Egyptian calendar
(D) A rectangular structure placed over a burial chamber
Answer: (D) A rectangular structure placed over a burial chamber
Q40. What was mummification?
(A) The process of making bronze tools
(B) The process of preserving a body after death
(C) The method of growing wheat
(D) The technique of writing on clay tablets
Answer: (B) The process of preserving a body after death
Q41. Which two rivers were central to the development of early Chinese civilisation?
(A) Nile and Tigris
(B) Indus and Ganga
(C) Huang He and Yangtze
(D) Euphrates and Sarasvatī
Answer: (C) Huang He and Yangtze
Q42. Which dynasty ruled China from approximately 1600 to 1046 BCE?
(A) Shang dynasty
(B) Han dynasty
(C) Qin dynasty
(D) Zhou dynasty
Answer: (A) Shang dynasty
Q43. What were the earliest sources of information about China mentioned in the chapter?
(A) Printed newspapers
(B) Roman coins
(C) Egyptian papyrus scrolls
(D) Oracle inscriptions on animal bones and tortoise shells
Answer: (D) Oracle inscriptions on animal bones and tortoise shells
Q44. What is a distinctive feature of Chinese writing described in the chapter?
(A) It uses only wedge-shaped marks on clay.
(B) It is logographic, with characters representing words or morphemes.
(C) It uses only pictures of animals.
(D) It was written exclusively on papyrus.
Answer: (B) It is logographic, with characters representing words or morphemes.
Q45. What was an important purpose of the early walls built in China?
(A) To create agricultural fields
(B) To store water for irrigation
(C) To protect against raids by nomadic tribes
(D) To serve as temples for rulers
Answer: (C) To protect against raids by nomadic tribes
Q46. During which dynasty did silk become a major item of external trade around the 2nd century BCE?
(A) Han dynasty
(B) Shang dynasty
(C) Zhou dynasty
(D) Assyrian dynasty
Answer: (A) Han dynasty
Q47. Which trade route was named after the important Chinese trade commodity, silk?
(A) Spice Route
(B) Royal Road
(C) Amber Road
(D) Silk Route
Answer: (D) Silk Route
Q48. Which statement about early civilisations is supported by the chapter?
(A) All early civilisations developed in deserts far from rivers.
(B) Major early civilisations emerged independently in fertile river plains.
(C) Writing was never used for economic transactions.
(D) Agriculture developed only after the Iron Age.
Answer: (B) Major early civilisations emerged independently in fertile river plains.
Q49. What was one major consequence of the Neolithic shift to food production?
(A) The disappearance of permanent settlements
(B) The end of animal domestication
(C) The establishment of village settlements
(D) The abandonment of pottery
Answer: (C) The establishment of village settlements
Q50. Why was the development of writing important for early civilisations?
(A) It enabled societies to record economic transactions and social activities.
(B) It immediately ended all trade between civilisations.
(C) It eliminated the need for administration.
(D) It replaced agriculture as the main source of food.
Answer: (A) It enabled societies to record economic transactions and social activities.
CLASS 9 SOCIAL SCIENCE
CHAPTER 4: EARLY HUMANS AND BEGINNING OF CIVILISATION
ASSERTION–REASON QUESTIONS
Directions: Choose the correct option for each question.
(A) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
(B) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
(C) Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
(D) Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.
Q1. Assertion (A): Archaeological evidence is an important source for studying early human history.
Reason (R): Tools, bones, fossils and other objects help archaeologists reconstruct how early humans lived.
Answer: (A)
Q2. Assertion (A): Homo erectus was among the first hominins to migrate out of Africa.
Reason (R): Homo erectus used stone tools such as handaxes and cleavers.
Answer: (B)
Q3. Assertion (A): The Palaeolithic period is also known as the New Stone Age.
Reason (R): The word “palaeo” means old, while “lithic” means stone.
Answer: (D)
Q4. Assertion (A): Microlithic tools were used during the Mesolithic period.
Reason (R): The Mesolithic period was a transitional phase between hunting-gathering and agriculture.
Answer: (B)
Q5. Assertion (A): The Neolithic Revolution involved a transition towards food production.
Reason (R): Neolithic people domesticated selected plants and animals and developed cultivation and animal husbandry.
Answer: (A)
Q6. Assertion (A): The transition to agriculture occurred at exactly the same time in every region of the world.
Reason (R): The shift towards agriculture took place at different periods in different regions.
Answer: (D)
Q7. Assertion (A): Mehrgarh was an important early agricultural village in the north-western Indian subcontinent.
Reason (R): Its people cultivated wheat and barley and raised animals such as sheep and goats.
Answer: (A)
Q8. Assertion (A): The Harappan script has been completely deciphered.
Reason (R): Harappan writing has been found on objects such as seals and pottery.
Answer: (D)
Q9. Assertion (A): Standard weights helped the Harappans conduct trade efficiently.
Reason (R): The Harappans followed standard systems of weights and measurement.
Answer: (A)
Q10. Assertion (A): Dholavira is known for its elaborate water-harvesting system.
Reason (R): Water from nearby streams was diverted through dams and canals into a series of tanks.
Answer: (A)
Q11. Assertion (A): Lothal is associated with a dockyard constructed using burnt bricks.
Reason (R): Lothal was a site of the ancient Chinese civilisation.
Answer: (C)
Q12. Assertion (A): Early civilisations developed in river plains.
Reason (R): The Harappan civilisation developed along the Sindhu and Sarasvatī rivers, while Egyptian civilisation developed along the Nile.
Answer: (A)
Q13. Assertion (A): Mesopotamia was the region between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers.
Reason (R): The name Mesopotamia means “land in between”.
Answer: (A)
Q14. Assertion (A): The Sumerians developed cuneiform writing.
Reason (R): Cuneiform was made by pressing a wedge-shaped stylus into soft clay tablets.
Answer: (A)
Q15. Assertion (A): Ziggurats were important structures in Sumerian cities.
Reason (R): Ziggurats were stepped, pyramid-shaped temples associated with the chief god of a city.
Answer: (A)
Q16. Assertion (A): The Nile River was important for Egyptian agriculture.
Reason (R): The annual floods of the Nile deposited fertile mud along its banks.
Answer: (A)
Q17. Assertion (A): Egyptian hieroglyphic writing was deciphered with the help of the Rosetta Stone.
Reason (R): The Rosetta Stone provided a key for understanding Egyptian hieroglyphs.
Answer: (A)
Q18. Assertion (A): Mummification was a method used to preserve bodies after death in ancient Egypt.
Reason (R): Ancient Egyptians believed in an afterlife.
Answer: (A)
Q19. Assertion (A): The Huang He and Yangtze river basins were important to early Chinese civilisation.
Reason (R): Early Chinese civilisation developed in river basins in China.
Answer: (A)
Q20. Assertion (A): Early human history can be understood only through written documents.
Reason (R): Archaeological remains such as tools, fossils and other material objects provide evidence about the lives of early humans.
Answer: (D)
