What, Where, How and When?

A manuscript is a handwritten text written on palm leaves or birch bark, containing religious texts, stories, or scientific knowledge. An inscription is writing carved or engraved on a hard surface like stone, rock, or metal. Manuscripts can decay over time, while inscriptions on stone last much longer and often record royal orders or important events.

Early people settled near rivers because rivers provided fresh water for drinking and farming. The soil near rivers was fertile, making it good for growing crops. Rivers also supported fishing and made travel and trade easier. The Ganga plain and Indus valley are examples of regions where early settlements developed because of these advantages.

BCE stands for Before Common Era and CE stands for Common Era. BCE counts years going backwards before year 1, while CE counts forward from year 1. They replace BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini) because the older terms are linked to Christianity. BCE and CE are neutral terms acceptable to people of all religions and cultures around the world.

Historians use three main sources: first, manuscripts — handwritten texts on palm leaves or bark about religion, science, and stories; second, inscriptions — writings carved on stone pillars, rocks, or copper plates recording royal orders and events; third, archaeological remains — objects like tools, pots, coins, and buildings found by digging the earth, which reveal how people lived in ancient times.

Archaeologists are scientists who study the past by digging up old sites and examining objects left behind by ancient people. They find tools, pottery, coins, bones, buildings, and jewellery buried in the earth. By carefully studying these remains, archaeologists can tell us what people ate, how they built homes, what work they did, and how they lived thousands of years ago.