What, Where, How and When? 

Q37. What do the terms B.C. and A.D. mean?

Ans. The years are counted from the date generally assigned to the birth of Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity. All dates before the birth of Christ are counted backwards and usually have the letters BC (Before Christ) added on and  A.D. stands for two Latin words, ‘Anno Domini’, meaning ‘in the year of the Lord’ (i.e. Christ).

Q38. Differentiate between manuscripts and inscriptions.

Ans. Difference between manuscripts and inscriptions are:

Q39. Describe at least two ways in which you think the lives of kings would have been different from those of farmers.

Ans. Two ways in which the lives of kings would have been different from those of farmers are:

                          i.        The kings set up a large kingdom whereas farmers engaged in agriculture.

                         ii.        Kings often kept records of victories in battle whereas farmers did not keep records of what they did.

Q40. Who are archaeologists and what they study?

Ans. There were many things that were made and used in the past. Those who study these objects are called archaeologists. They study the remains of buildings made of stone and brick, paintings and sculpture. They also explore and excavate (dig under the surface of the earth) to find tools, weapons, pots, pans, ornaments and coins.

Q41. Make a list of all the objects that archaeologists may find. Which of these could be made of stone?

Ans. Objects that archaeologists may find are:

                          i.        remains of buildings made of stone and brick, paintings and sculpture

                         ii.        tools, weapons, pots, pans, ornaments and coins.

                        iii.        bones — of animals, birds, and fish

                        iv.        manuscripts and inscriptions

The ones that could be made of stone are inscriptions, remains of buildings, tools, weapons etc.

Q42. Why are archaeologists and historian like detectives?

Ans. Historians, that is, scholars who study the past, often use the word source to refer to the information found from manuscripts, inscriptions and archaeology. Once sources are found, learning about the past becomes an adventure, as they reconstruct it bit by bit. So historians and archaeologists are like detectives, who use all these sources like clues to find out about our pasts.

Q43. Why was travelling so important in the past?

Ans. Throughout, people travelled from one part of the subcontinent to another. Men and women moved in search of livelihood, as also to escape from natural disasters like floods or droughts. Sometimes men marched in armies, conquering others’ lands. Besides, merchants travelled with caravans or ships, carrying valuable goods from place to place. And religious teachers walked from village to village, town to town, stopping to offer instruction and advice on the way. Finally, some people perhaps travelled driven by a spirit of adventure, wanting to discover new and exciting places. All these led to the sharing of ideas between people.

Q44. What are the different ways to find out about the past?

Ans. Different ways to find out about the past are:

Manuscripts - One is to search for and read books that were written long ago. These are called manuscripts, because they were written by hand. These were usually written on palm leaf, or on the specially prepared bark of a tree known as the birch, which grows in the Himalayas.

Inscriptions - These are writings on relatively hard surfaces such as stone or metal. Sometimes, kings got their orders inscribed so that people could see, read and obey them. There are other kinds of inscriptions as well, where men and women (including kings and queens) recorded what they did. For example, kings often kept records of victories in battle.

Archaeological excavations or evidences - Archaeologist study the remains of buildings made of stone and brick, paintings and sculpture. They also explore and excavate (dig under the surface of the earth) to find tools, weapons, pots, pans, ornaments and coins.