Archaeologists studied the bones of animals, birds and fish to identify the eating habits of the people in the past. Although plant remains survive far more rarely, but if seeds of grains or pieces ofwoods would have been burnt, they would have survived in a charred form. So, finding charred seeds gave information that they ate plant produce also.

The word 'source' refers to the information found from the manuscripts, inscriptions, coins and monuments. It helps the historians in the reconstruction of our past. These sources give a lot of information about the kings, their coronation, the extent of their empires, the battles they fought, their welfare measures, etc. because they kept records of all what they did.

Rasheeda's question was how could anyone know what had happened so many years ago. There are various ways by which the people can know about the past.
(i) By the study of remains left by the early men in the form of tools, weapons, pots, pans, ornaments and coins.
(ii) Various inscriptions written on hard surfaces which contain both scripts and languages and these inscriptions were deciphered.
(iii) By various manuscripts and religious books, epics and poems.

Generally, the archaeologists study the remains of buildings made of stone and brick, paintings and sculptures. They also explore and excavate to find out the objects of daily use such as tools, weapons, pots, pans, ornaments and coins.

(i) In the ancient days, people travelled from one continent to the other. Natural barriers like hills and rivers made travelling difficult at times, but never impossible.
(ii) Men and women travelled in search of livelihood and then to escape natural disasters like flood or droughts.
(iii) Men in army travelled to conquer new territories and merchants travelled with caravans to trade goods and services. Holy men travelled from village to village imparting spiritual knowledge among the masses.
(iv) The people who travelled the most were the adventurers who wanted to explore new lands with a spirit of adventure.
(v) All the travelling helped in the intermixing of new ideas and knowledge. People came to know about the new customs and enhanced their knowledge about various communities.

(i) Archaeologists and historians are scholars who study things that are made and used in the past through the process of excavation.
(ii) Manuscripts, inscriptions, tools, coins and monuments are the sources of information used by then to know about the past of the people.
(iii) Once these sources are found, learning about the past becomes an adventure and gradually, history is reconstructed. That is why, historians and archaeologists use various sources to study about our past.

(i) This manuscript was written about a thousand years ago.
(ii) The palm leaves were cut into pages and tied together to make books.
(iii) A palm leaf manuscript.

(i)This inscription dates to about 2250 years ago.
(ii) Kandahar (Present - day Afghanistan )
(iii)It was written on the order of a ruler named Ashoka.

It is evident from the past that the earlier cities were mostly developed over the banks of river because of the following reasons:
(i) Thousand years ago, people lived along the banks of the Narmada river.
(ii) About 4700 years ago, some of the earliest cities flourished on the banks of river Indus and its tributaries.
(iii) Along the banks of the rivers, the necessary conditions for the living of human beings exist.
(iv) The necessities of living such as water, forest are easily available which fulfil the basic needs of the people.
(v) At that time, waterways were the most important means of transportation and communication.