Timeline and Sources of History Class 6 Social Science MCQ Chapter 4

Here we are presenting social science chapter 4 mcqs for class 6. Timeline and Sources of History is the name of the chapter for which we have 30 MCQs, 15 fill in the blanks questions, 10 true and false questions and 5 assertion and reasoning questions.

Dates, old objects, and stories from the past may look simple at first. But they help us understand how people lived long ago. This chapter shows how history is studied and how the past is pieced together.

It is part of the theme Tapestry of the Past. The chapter explains timelines, sources of history, and the early stages of human life. It also helps students see that history is not just about kings and battles, but also about tools, fossils, shelters, crops, and everyday life.

You also learn how historians, archaeologists, and other experts study the past using many kinds of evidence. The chapter connects dates, discoveries, and human progress in a clear way.

History – History is the study of the human past and its link with the present.
Timeline – It shows dates and events in the order they happened.
CE and BCE – They are used to mark years before and after the Common Era.
No year zero – Important point when calculating years across BCE and CE.
21st century – Runs from 2001 CE to 2100 CE.
560 BCE – Approximate year of Gautama Buddha’s birth.
1947 CE – India gained independence in this year.
2024 CE – Used in the chapter to explain timeline calculations.
40,000 BCE – Early examples of rock art appeared in the world.
14,000 BCE – End of the last Ice Age shown on the timeline.
8,000 BCE – First settlements and agriculture began.
6,000 BCE – Beginning of copper metallurgy.

Other chapters can also be found in MCQ Questions & Answers for Class 6 Social Science.

30 MCQ Questions for Class 6 Social Science Chapter 4 Timeline and Sources of History

Question 1: Who defined history as “an unending dialogue between the present and the past”?

a) Herodotus
b) E.H. Carr
c) Kalidasa
d) Hiuen Tsang

Answer:

b) E.H. Carr – He emphasised the link between present and past.

Question 2: Which of the following is preserved in museums to help us understand history?

a) Statues, coins, ornaments
b) Electricity, machines, factories
c) Satellites, space stations
d) Maps, globes, charts

Answer:

a) Statues, coins, ornaments – Such objects reveal information about the past.

Question 3: Which group studies physical features of the Earth like soil, stones, and mountains?

a) Archaeologists
b) Geologists
c) Anthropologists
d) Epigraphists

Answer:

b) Geologists – They study Earth’s natural features.

Question 4: Which specialists study fossils of plants, animals, and humans from millions of years ago?

a) Palaeontologists
b) Anthropologists
c) Archaeologists
d) Historians

Answer:

a) Palaeontologists – They reconstruct life forms through fossils.

Question 5: Anthropologists mainly study-

a) Human societies and cultures
b) Fossils of dinosaurs
c) Coins and manuscripts
d) Rock layers

Answer:

a) Human societies and cultures – From the oldest to the present.

Question 6: Archaeologists study the past through-

a) Rocks and volcanoes
b) Fossils of plants
c) Excavated remains like tools, pots, bones, grains
d) DNA and genetics only

Answer:

c) Excavated remains like tools, pots, bones, grains – These are key archaeological sources.

Question 7: Which calendar is used worldwide today?

a) Lunar Calendar
b) Gregorian Calendar
c) Hindu Calendar
d) Islamic Calendar

Answer:

b) Gregorian Calendar – It has 12 months, leap years, and is globally accepted.

Question 8: In the Gregorian calendar, years after the birth of Jesus were earlier marked as-

a) BCE
b) AD
c) CE
d) BP

Answer:

b) AD – Anno Domini, meaning “in the year of the Lord”.

Question 9: The modern inclusive term used instead of AD is-

a) BP
b) CE
c) Era
d) Century

Answer:

b) CE – Common Era, widely used today.

Question 10: Years before the birth of Jesus are now referred to as-

a) CE
b) AD
c) BCE
d) BP

Answer:

c) BCE – Before Common Era, replacing ‘Before Christ’.

Question 11: In the Gregorian calendar, which year follows immediately after 1 BCE?

a) 0 CE
b) 1 CE
c) 2 CE
d) 100 CE

Answer:

b) 1 CE – There is no ‘year zero’.

Question 12: If the Buddha was born in 560 BCE, then in 2024 CE, how many years ago was that?

a) 1,560 years
b) 2,583 years
c) 3,024 years
d) 2,000 years

Answer:

b) 2,583 years – Calculated as 560 + 2024 – 1.

Question 13: A period of 100 years is called a-

a) Decade
b) Century
c) Millennium
d) Era

Answer:

b) Century – For example, 2001–2100 is the 21st century CE.

Question 14: A millennium refers to-

a) 100 years
b) 500 years
c) 1,000 years
d) 10,000 years

Answer:

c) 1,000 years – For example, 2001–3000 CE is the 3rd millennium CE.

Question 15: Which traditional Indian book of tables gives dates of festivals, eclipses, and astronomical data?

a) Purana
b) Panchānga
c) Veda
d) Mahabharata

Answer:

b) Panchānga – It predicts festivals, eclipses, and weather.

Question 16: Which of the following is NOT an archaeological source of history?

a) Inscriptions
b) Coins
c) Fossils
d) Poetry

Answer:

d) Poetry – It is a literary source, not archaeological.

Question 17: Epigraphists are specialists who study-

a) Ancient coins
b) Ancient inscriptions
c) Ancient fossils
d) Ancient tools

Answer:

b) Ancient inscriptions – They help reconstruct the past.

Question 18: Which of these is a foreign account source of history?

a) Vedas
b) Itihasas
c) Travelogues
d) Copper plates

Answer:

c) Travelogues – Records of foreign travellers are valuable sources.

Question 19: Which of these is an oral source of history?

a) Paintings
b) Folklore and stories
c) Pottery
d) Manuscripts

Answer:

b) Folklore and stories – Oral sources preserve traditions.

Question 20: Which scientific method has added new insights into history in recent decades?

a) Astrology
b) Genetics
c) Mythology
d) Palmistry

Answer:

b) Genetics – DNA studies supplement traditional history.

Question 21: Modern humans (Homo sapiens) have lived on Earth for about-

a) 30,000 years
b) 300,000 years
c) 3,000 years
d) 3 million years

Answer:

b) 300,000 years – Only a tiny part of Earth’s long history.

Question 22: Early humans survived mainly as-

a) Farmers
b) Hunters and gatherers
c) Builders
d) Traders

Answer:

b) Hunters and gatherers – They relied on hunting and collecting plants.

Question 23: Evidence of early human life is often found in-

a) Palaces
b) Rock shelters and caves
c) Forts
d) Ships

Answer:

b) Rock shelters and caves – Many contain paintings.

Question 24: Which natural phenomenon lasted over 100,000 years and ended about 12,000 years ago?

a) Drought
b) Ice Age
c) Volcanic eruption
d) Flood

Answer:

b) Ice Age – After which humans began farming.

Question 25: After the Ice Age, humans started cultivating cereals and-

a) Mining iron
b) Domesticating animals
c) Building castles
d) Travelling overseas

Answer:

b) Domesticating animals – They settled near rivers and grew crops.

Question 26: The first metal used by humans was-

a) Copper
b) Iron
c) Bronze
d) Silver

Answer:

a) Copper – Later iron was also used.

Question 27: In early human communities, land was-

a) Individually owned
b) Owned by rulers only
c) Owned by religious leaders
d) Used collectively by the group

Answer:

d) Used collectively by the group – No private ownership.

Question 28: Which new technology appeared in early human settlements before civilisation?

a) Printing press
b) Pottery making
c) Electricity
d) Railways

Answer:

b) Pottery making – Along with metal use.

Question 29: The gradual growth of hamlets into villages and towns led to-

a) Emergence of kingdoms
b) Development of civilisation
c) Decline of human society
d) Extinction of farming

Answer:

b) Development of civilisation – Prepared the way for urban life.

Question 30: Historians are sometimes compared to detectives because-

a) They wear uniforms
b) They solve puzzles by piecing together sources
c) They arrest criminals
d) They use microscopes

Answer:

b) They solve puzzles by piecing together sources – Like solving a jigsaw with missing parts.

Class 6 Social Science Chapter 4 Fill in the Blanks with Answers – Timeline and Sources of History

1. E.H. Carr defined history as an unending dialogue between the _ and the _.

Answer:

present, past

2. Objects such as coins, ornaments, and statues are preserved in ___ to help us study history.

Answer:

museums

3. Specialists who study the Earth’s soil, stones, and rocks are called ___.

Answer:

geologists

4. The study of fossils of plants, animals, and humans from millions of years ago is done by ___.

Answer:

palaeontologists

5. The study of human societies and cultures is known as ___.

Answer:

anthropology

6. The Gregorian calendar, used worldwide today, has ___ months in a year.

Answer:

7. The years after the birth of Jesus were earlier marked as AD, which stands for _ _.

Answer:

Anno Domini

8. The term used in place of AD today is ___, meaning Common Era.

Answer:

9. The years before the birth of Jesus are referred to as ___, meaning Before Common Era.

Answer:

BCE

10. A period of 100 years is called a _, while a period of 1,000 years is called a _.

Answer:

century, millennium

11. The traditional Indian calendar that provides dates of festivals and astronomical data is called ___.

Answer:

Panchānga

12. Specialists who study ancient inscriptions are known as ___.

Answer:

epigraphists

13. Stories, folklore, and songs handed down orally are examples of ___ sources of history.

Answer:

oral

14. The first metal used by early humans was ___.

Answer:

copper

15. The gradual growth of hamlets into villages and towns led to the development of ___.

Answer:

civilisation

True or False type Questions for Class 6 Social Science Chapter 4 Timeline and Sources of History

Question 1. History is defined as an unending dialogue between the present and the past. (True/False)

Answer:

True

Question 2. Coins, inscriptions, and ornaments are examples of literary sources of history. (True/False)

Answer:

False

Question 3. Geologists study the Earth’s soil, stones, and mountains. (True/False)

Answer:

True

Question 4. Palaeontologists study ancient coins and inscriptions. (True/False)

Answer:

False

Question 5. The Gregorian calendar used worldwide today has 12 months in a year. (True/False)

Answer:

True

Question 6. In the Gregorian calendar, the year 1 BCE is immediately followed by 0 CE. (True/False)

Answer:

False

Question 7. A period of 1,000 years is called a millennium. (True/False)

Answer:

True

Question 8. The Panchānga is a traditional Indian calendar that records dates of festivals, eclipses, and astronomical data. (True/False)

Answer:

True

Question 9. Epigraphists are experts in studying ancient inscriptions. (True/False)

Answer:

True

Question 10. The first metal used by early humans was iron. (True/False)

Answer:

False