From Hunting–Gathering to Growing Food

A hunter-gatherer is a person who hunts wild animals and gathers wild plants, fruits, roots, and nuts for food. They did not grow crops or keep animals. Because food was found in different places in different seasons, hunter-gatherers moved from place to place following animals and seasonal plants. They lived in small groups and camped near rivers, lakes, and forests where food and water were available.

Early people noticed that seeds they dropped grew into new plants. Over time, they began planting seeds on purpose and growing their own crops like wheat and barley. They also started keeping animals like sheep and goat near their camps instead of hunting them. Farming and herding gave people a more reliable and steady supply of food, so they no longer needed to move constantly. This allowed them to settle in one place and build permanent villages.

Mehrgarh is one of the oldest known farming settlements in the Indian subcontinent, located in present-day Balochistan, Pakistan. It dates back to around 7000 BCE. Archaeologists found mud-brick houses, grain storage areas, and burial sites there. People at Mehrgarh grew wheat and barley and kept animals like sheep, goat, and cattle. It is important because it gives us some of the earliest evidence of settled farming life and village communities in South Asia.

Domestication means taming wild animals and keeping them under human care for food, work, or other uses. Early people domesticated animals instead of hunting them in the wild. Over generations, these animals became used to living with humans. Two animals domesticated by early people were sheep and goat. Cattle were also domesticated and used for milk and farming. Domestication of animals was an important step that helped people settle in one place.

During the Neolithic or New Stone Age period, people learned several important new skills. They began farming and growing crops like wheat and barley. They made polished stone tools that were sharper and more efficient than older tools. They also learned to make pottery — clay pots used for storing grain and cooking food. Weaving cloth from plant fibres like cotton also began during this time. These skills helped people live more comfortable and settled lives in permanent villages.