Chapter 4: Early Humans and Beginning of Civilisation Worksheet Class - 9 NCERT BOOK

Chapter 4: Early Humans and Beginning of Civilisation

Worksheet 

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Section A: Competency-Based Multiple Choice Questions 

1. Which source provides the best evidence for studying the period before writing was invented?

A. Coins

B. Archaeological remains

C. Government records

D. Newspapers

2. A scientist discovers fossilised human bones and stone tools in Africa. What is the most likely conclusion?

A. Humans first evolved in Europe.

B. Early humans evolved in Africa.

C. Agriculture began before hunting.

D. Writing existed before tools.

3. Which pair correctly represents biological and cultural evolution?

A. Biological – Farming; Cultural – Physical changes

B. Biological – Physical development; Cultural – Development of tools

C. Biological – Trade; Cultural – Evolution of species

D. Biological – Writing; Cultural – Fossils

4. Why is the period before writing called Prehistory?

A. Because no humans existed.

B. Because only kings ruled.

C. Because written records were absent.

D. Because agriculture had not started.

5. Which early human species was the first to migrate out of Africa?

A. Homo habilis

B. Homo erectus

C. Homo sapiens

D. Homo neanderthalensis

6. Stone tools are often called "extra-corporal limbs" because they

A. were made from bones.

B. were used only for hunting.

C. acted as extensions of the human body.

D. were larger than human hands.

7. Which feature is most closely associated with the Palaeolithic Age?

A. Permanent villages

B. Bronze tools

C. Hunter-gatherer lifestyle

D. Silk production

8. If archaeologists discover microliths at a site, they will most likely identify it as belonging to the

A. Palaeolithic Period

B. Mesolithic Period

C. Neolithic Period

D. Iron Age

9. Which development marked the Neolithic Revolution?

A. Discovery of iron

B. Domestication of animals and farming

C. Construction of pyramids

D. Development of cuneiform

10. Which combination correctly matches the period with its major feature?

A. Mesolithic – Bronze tools

B. Neolithic – Agriculture

C. Chalcolithic – Iron weapons

D. Bronze Age – Hunter-gatherers

11. Why is Mehrgarh considered an important archaeological site?

A. It was the capital of Egypt.

B. It is one of the oldest Neolithic settlements.

C. It contains the Great Wall.

D. It was the first Iron Age city.

12. Which crop was cultivated by the people of Mehrgarh?

A. Cotton only

B. Wheat and barley

C. Tea and coffee

D. Sugarcane

13. Which innovation helped Neolithic people produce food surplus?

A. Sailing

B. Agriculture

C. Wheel

D. Writing

14. The earliest phase of the Sindhu–Sarasvatī Civilisation developed from

A. Iron Age settlements.

B. Neolithic farming communities.

C. Roman cities.

D. Egyptian villages.

15. Which feature best reflects the urban planning of the Mature Harappan Civilisation?

A. Temporary camps

B. Planned cities

C. Cave dwellings

D. Nomadic settlements

16. Which Harappan site is located in present-day Gujarat?

A. Harappa

B. Mohenjo-Daro

C. Lothal

D. Mehrgarh

17. Which civilisation developed between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers?

A. Egyptian

B. Chinese

C. Mesopotamian

D. Greek

18. The word Mesopotamia literally means

A. Land of the Nile

B. Land between rivers

C. Black soil

D. Golden desert

19. What was the primary purpose of a ziggurat?

A. Military fort

B. Royal palace

C. Temple dedicated to a chief god

D. Market centre

20. Which achievement is correctly associated with the Sumerians?

A. Building the Great Wall

B. Developing cuneiform writing

C. Inventing papyrus

D. Discovering iron

21. Why were scribes highly respected in Mesopotamian society?

A. They collected taxes.

B. They maintained written records.

C. They commanded the army.

D. They built irrigation canals.

22. King Hammurabi is best remembered for

A. constructing pyramids.

B. introducing one of the earliest written law codes.

C. inventing paper.

D. discovering bronze.

23. Which factor contributed to the decline of Babylonia?

A. Discovery of America

B. Attacks by the Hittites

C. Lack of rivers

D. Volcanic eruptions

24. Which river played the most important role in the growth of Egyptian civilisation?

A. Yangtze

B. Nile

C. Euphrates

D. Indus

25. The Egyptians preserved dead bodies through the process known as

A. Embalming

B. Mummification

C. Cremation

D. Fossilisation

26. Which statement best explains the importance of the Nile River?

A. It separated Egypt into two countries.

B. It provided fertile soil through annual floods.

C. It supplied iron ore.

D. It was mainly used for sea trade.

27. Which dynasty is recognised as the first imperial dynasty of China?

A. Shang

B. Zhou

C. Qin

D. Han

28. What were oracle bones mainly used for in ancient China?

A. Making ornaments

B. Recording trade accounts

C. Predicting the future

D. Building houses

29. Which unique item symbolised prestige and high social status in ancient China?

A. Iron sword

B. Jade object

C. Clay pot

D. Wooden bowl

30. Which statement best describes a common feature shared by the Sindhu–Sarasvatī, Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and Chinese civilisations?

A. They developed only in deserts.

B. They emerged near fertile river valleys.

C. They used the same writing system.

D. They followed the same religion.

Section B – Fill in the Blanks

31. The study of human history before the invention of writing is known as __________.

32. The preserved remains of ancient plants, animals, or humans are called __________.

33. Early humans are believed to have evolved on the continent of __________.

34. __________ was the first human species to migrate out of Africa.

35. The Old Stone Age is also known as the __________ Age.

36. Small stone tools used during the Mesolithic Period are called __________.

37. The shift from hunting and gathering to farming began during the __________ Period.

38. The oldest known Neolithic site in the Indian subcontinent is __________.

39. Wheat and barley were major crops grown at __________.

40. The combination of copper and stone tools is a characteristic feature of the __________ Age.

41. The script developed by the Sumerians is known as __________.

42. A stepped pyramid-shaped temple in Mesopotamia was called a __________.

43. The capital city of the Sumerians was __________.

44. King __________ introduced one of the earliest written law codes.

45. The Egyptian civilisation flourished along the River __________.

46. The process of preserving dead bodies in ancient Egypt is called __________.

47. The earliest source of information about ancient China is the __________.

48. The first imperial dynasty of China was the __________ Dynasty.

49. The famous trade route connecting China with other parts of Asia and Europe was called the __________.

50. Jade objects in ancient China symbolised __________ and social status.

Section C – True / False

51. Written records are the main source for studying prehistoric human life.

52. Homo sapiens evolved before Homo erectus.

53. Archaeologists study fossils, tools, pottery, and cave paintings to understand early human life.

54. Permanent villages first appeared during the Neolithic Period.

55. Hunting and gathering remained the main occupation throughout the Neolithic Age.

56. Microliths are mainly associated with the Mesolithic Period.

57. Mehrgarh is regarded as one of the earliest farming settlements in the Indian subcontinent.

58. Harappan cities were famous for their planned urban settlements.

59. The Harappan script has been completely deciphered.

60. Bronze Age civilisations generally developed near fertile river valleys.

61. Mesopotamia means "Land between Rivers."

62. The Sumerians developed the cuneiform writing system.

63. The Akkadians used an entirely different writing system from the Sumerians.

64. Hammurabi is remembered mainly for introducing an early written code of laws.

65. Babylonia became less powerful after repeated attacks by the Hittites.

66. Ancient Egyptians believed in life after death and practised mummification.

67. Papyrus was used by the Egyptians as a writing material.

68. Oracle bones were used by the Chinese to predict the future.

69. The Han Dynasty is associated with the growth of the Silk Route.

70. All early civilisations used exactly the same writing system and language.

Section D – Match the Following

71. Match the prehistoric periods with their main features.

Column A Column B

(A) Palaeolithic (i) Copper and Stone tools

(B) Mesolithic (ii) Agriculture and permanent villages

(C) Neolithic (iii) Microliths

(D) Chalcolithic (iv) Hunter-gatherers

72. Match the human ancestors with their characteristics.

Column A Column B

(A) Homo habilis (i) Modern humans

(B) Homo erectus (ii) Handy Man

(C) Homo neanderthalensis (iii) First to migrate out of Africa

(D) Homo sapiens (iv) Middle Palaeolithic tools

73. Match the archaeological terms with their meanings.

Column A Column B

(A) Fossils (i) Ancient writing system

(B) Archaeology (ii) Preserved remains of living organisms

(C) Artefacts (iii) Study of ancient human life

(D) Cuneiform (iv) Human-made objects

74. Match the Neolithic sites with their significance.

Column A Column B

(A) Mehrgarh (i) Karnataka

(B) Bhimbetka (ii) Oldest Neolithic settlement

(C) Attirampakkam (iii) Cave paintings

(D) Sanganakallu (iv) Early Stone Age site

75. Match the Harappan sites with their locations.

Column A Column B

(A) Harappa (i) Gujarat

(B) Mohenjo-Daro (ii) Pakistan

(C) Dholavira (iii) Pakistan

(D) Lothal (iv) Gujarat

76. Match the civilisation with its river.

Column A Column B

(A) Mesopotamia (i) Nile

(B) Egypt (ii) Huang He

(C) China (iii) Indus

(D) Sindhu–Sarasvatī (iv) Tigris and Euphrates

77. Match the civilisation with its writing system.

Column A Column B

(A) Mesopotamia (i) Harappan Script

(B) Egypt (ii) Cuneiform

(C) China (iii) Hieroglyphics

(D) Sindhu–Sarasvatī (iv) Logographic Script

78. Match the Mesopotamian civilisation with its contribution.

Column A Column B

(A) Sumerians (i) Code of Laws

(B) Akkadians (ii) Trade with Meluhha

(C) Assyrians (iii) Assur city-state

(D) Babylonians (iv) First cuneiform writing

79. Match the person with the achievement.

Column A Column B

(A) Sargon (i) Egyptian Queen

(B) Hammurabi (ii) United Babylonia

(C) Cleopatra (iii) Trade with Meluhha

(D) Pharaoh (iv) Ruler of Egypt

80. Match the Egyptian terms with their meanings.

Column A Column B

(A) Pharaoh (i) Spiritual double

(B) Mastaba (ii) Egyptian ruler

(C) Ka (iii) Rectangular tomb

(D) Mummification (iv) Preservation of the dead body

81. Match the Chinese dynasties with their contributions.

Column A Column B

(A) Shang (i) Silk Route

(B) Zhou (ii) Bronze metallurgy

(C) Qin (iii) Unified China

(D) Han (iv) Mandate of Heaven

82. Match the Chinese terms with their meanings.

Column A Column B

(A) Oracle Bones (i) Yellow River

(B) Historiographers (ii) Jade ornaments

(C) Huang He (iii) Official historians

(D) Jade (iv) Earliest historical source

83. Match the invention with the civilisation.

Column A Column B

(A) Papyrus (i) China

(B) Silk (ii) Mesopotamia

(C) Wheel (iii) Egypt

(D) Great Wall (iv) China

84. Match the Bronze Age civilisation with its famous feature.

Column A Column B

(A) Sindhu–Sarasvatī (i) Pyramids

(B) Mesopotamia (ii) Planned cities

(C) Egypt (iii) Great Wall

(D) China (iv) Ziggurats

85. Match the keyword with the correct civilisation.

Column A Column B

(A) Meluhha (i) China

(B) Dog Star (Sirius) (ii) Mesopotamia

(C) Oracle Bones (iii) Egypt

(D) Ziggurat (iv) Sindhu–Sarasvatī

Section E – Assertion and Reason:-Directions: For each question, choose the correct option.

A. Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, and Reason is the correct explanation of Assertion.

B. Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason is not the correct explanation of Assertion.

C. Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.

D. Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.

86.Assertion (A): Early human history is mainly studied through archaeological evidence.

Reason (R): Written records were not available during most of early human history.

87.Assertion (A): Homo erectus was the first human species to migrate out of Africa.

Reason (R): Homo erectus adapted to different environments using improved stone tools.

88.Assertion (A): The Neolithic Revolution changed human life permanently.

Reason (R): People began practising agriculture and domesticating animals.

89.Assertion (A): Permanent settlements developed during the Neolithic Period.

Reason (R): Agriculture required people to remain near their fields.

90.Assertion (A): Mehrgarh is considered an important Neolithic site.

Reason (R): Evidence of early farming and animal domestication has been found there.

91.Assertion (A): Harappan cities were carefully planned.

Reason (R): They had organised settlements and standardised construction.

92.Assertion (A): Mesopotamia is known as the "Land Between Rivers."

Reason (R): It developed between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

93.Assertion (A): Ziggurats served as important religious centres.

Reason (R): Every Mesopotamian city had a chief deity worshipped in a temple.

94.Assertion (A): Hammurabi became famous in world history.

Reason (R): He introduced one of the earliest written law codes.

95.Assertion (A): Babylonia gradually lost its dominance.

Reason (R): It faced repeated attacks from the Hittites and other rising powers.

96.Assertion (A): Egyptian civilisation flourished along the Nile River.

Reason (R): The annual flooding of the Nile deposited fertile soil.

97.Assertion (A): Egyptians practised mummification.

Reason (R): They believed in life after death and the preservation of the body.

98.Assertion (A): Oracle bones are important historical sources for China.

Reason (R): They contain some of the earliest Chinese writings.

99.Assertion (A): The Qin Dynasty is known as the first imperial dynasty of China.

Reason (R): It unified China into a single empire.

100.Assertion (A): All Bronze Age civilisations developed independently.

Reason (R): They shared common features such as agriculture, trade, writing, and administration.

Section F – Very Short Answer Questions 

101. What is meant by Prehistory?

102. Which continent is regarded as the birthplace of early humans?

103. Name the first human species to migrate out of Africa.

104. What are fossils?

105. Which age is known as the Old Stone Age?

106. Name the small stone tools used during the Mesolithic Period.

107. Which period is known for the beginning of agriculture?

108. Name one important Neolithic site in the Indian subcontinent.

109. Which domesticated animal at Mehrgarh is popularly known as the "humped bull"?

110. Name the script used by the Harappan Civilisation.

111. Which two rivers gave rise to the Mesopotamian Civilisation?

112. What was a Ziggurat?

113. Who introduced the Code of Hammurabi?

114. Which river supported the growth of the Egyptian Civilisation?

115. What was the purpose of mummification in ancient Egypt?

116. What was the rectangular tomb built for Egyptian pharaohs called?

117. Name the earliest source of information about ancient China.

118. Which dynasty is known as the first imperial dynasty of China?

119. What is the famous trade route associated with the Han Dynasty called?

120. Name one unique craft item for which the Chinese Civilisation was famous.

Section G – Short Answer Questions 

121. Differentiate between biological evolution and cultural evolution.

122. Why is archaeological evidence important for studying early human history?

123. Mention any three features of the Palaeolithic Age.

124. How did the Mesolithic Period differ from the Palaeolithic Period? Give any three points.

125. Explain the importance of the Neolithic Revolution.

126. Write any three characteristics of the Neolithic settlement at Mehrgarh.

127. Describe any three important features of the Mature Harappan Civilisation.

128. State any three common features shared by Bronze Age Civilisations.

129. Why are the Sumerians considered pioneers of civilisation? Give any three reasons.

130. Describe the social hierarchy of the Sumerian Civilisation.

131.Explain the significance of the Code of Hammurabi.

132. Describe any three important features of the Egyptian Civilisation.

133.Why was the Nile River called the lifeline of Egypt? Explain with suitable points.

134. Explain the importance of Oracle Bones and Historiographers in studying ancient China.

135. Write any three achievements of the Chinese Civilisation.

Section H – Long Answer Questions 

136.Explain the major stages of early human development from the Palaeolithic Age to the Bronze Age. Highlight the important changes that took place during each stage.

137. Describe the Neolithic Revolution. How did it transform the lifestyle of early humans? Explain with suitable examples.

138. Discuss the significance of Mehrgarh as one of the earliest farming settlements in the Indian subcontinent.

139. Describe the main features of the Sindhu–Sarasvatī Civilisation. Why is it regarded as one of the greatest Bronze Age civilisations?

140. Explain the important contributions of the Sumerians to world civilisation.

141. Describe the rise of the Babylonian Civilisation under Hammurabi and explain the importance of the Code of Hammurabi.

142. Describe the major achievements of the Egyptian Civilisation in the fields of religion, architecture, science, and writing.

143. Explain the development of the Chinese Civilisation under the Shang, Zhou, Qin, and Han Dynasties.

144. Compare the Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Sindhu–Sarasvatī, and Chinese Civilisations on the basis of:

• Rivers
• Writing
• Important Structures
• Main Occupation
• Major Contributions

145. How did the development of agriculture, trade, writing, and technology contribute to the growth of early civilisations? Explain with examples.

Section I – HOTS (Higher Order Thinking Skills)

146. Why do historians depend more on archaeological evidence than written records while studying prehistoric humans?

147. Imagine agriculture had never developed. How would human life today be different? Give reasons.

148. Why do you think early civilisations developed near rivers instead of mountains or deserts?

149. The invention of writing changed human civilisation. Justify this statement with suitable arguments.

150. Compare the Neolithic Revolution with the Industrial Revolution. Mention any three similarities or differences.

151. If you were an archaeologist and discovered a site containing bronze tools, pottery, seals, and planned streets, which civilisation would you investigate first? Give reasons.

152. Which achievement of the Sumerians do you think had the greatest impact on world civilisation? Give reasons to support your answer.

153. Why do historians call the Nile the "Gift of Egypt"? Explain how geography influenced civilisation.

154. How did trade help connect ancient civilisations such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Sindhu–Sarasvatī Civilisation, and China?

155. Among the four Bronze Age civilisations, which one do you think contributed the most to the modern world? Justify your opinion with suitable examples.

Section J Case Study Questions

Case Study – 1  Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Early humans survived by hunting wild animals and gathering fruits, roots, and nuts. Gradually, they learned to domesticate animals and cultivate crops. This led to permanent settlements, food surplus, pottery-making, and the growth of villages. These developments laid the foundation for early civilisations.

• Which stage of human history is described in the passage?
• Which major discovery changed the lifestyle of early humans?
• State any two changes that took place after the beginning of agriculture.
• Why is this period called a turning point in human history?

Case Study – 2

The Bronze Age witnessed the rise of several great river valley civilisations. Planned cities, writing systems, trade, specialised occupations, and organised governments became common features. Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Sindhu–Sarasvatī Civilisation, and China are among the earliest examples.

•  Name any two Bronze Age civilisations mentioned in the passage.
• Why were rivers important for these civilisations?
• Mention any two common characteristics of Bronze Age civilisations.
• Explain how writing helped these civilisations.

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