3Aug, 2025
Time line and Source of History
Work Sheet 9 PP Publication

A. Tick the correct option: (MCQs)

  1. The approximate year of birth of Gautam Buddha was:
    (a) 560 AD
    (b) 560 BC
    (c) 560 BCE ✅
    (d) None
  2. An abbreviation for a Latin phrase that refers to the years after Jesus’ birth:
    (a) AD ✅
    (b) BCE
    (c) BC
    (d) All of these
  3. The year India gained Independence can be written as:
    (a) 1947
    (b) 1947 CE ✅
    (c) 1947 BCE
    (d) 1947 BC
  4. People who study about the human societies and cultures:
    (a) Geologists
    (b) Archaeologists
    (c) Anthropologists ✅
    (d) Palaeontologists
  5. Time of first settlements and beginning of agriculture:
    (a) 2000 BCE
    (b) 4000 BCE
    (c) 6000 BCE
    (d) 8000 BCE ✅

B. State whether the following statements are True (T) or False (F):

  1. Gregorian Calendar is commonly used worldwide. – True ✅
  2. In the Gregorian Calendar there is one ‘year zero’. – False ❌
  3. We are in 2000 BCE. – False ❌
  4. Era is a distinct period of time. – True ✅
  5. 12,000 BCE was the ‘End of last Ice Age’. – True ✅

C. Fill in the blanks using appropriate words:

  1. In the Gregorian Calendar, the year 1 CE follows immediately the year 1 BCE.
  2. The years before the conventional date for the birth of Jesus are counted backward.
  3. Fossils are impressions of footprints, or parts of plants or animals that are found preserved within layers of soil or rocks.
  4. To calculate the number of years between a BCE date and a CE date, we add them but subtract 1.
  5. A timeline helps in understanding the order in which historical events took place.

D. Match the following:

Column AColumn B
1. Before Christ(c) Before Common Era ✅
2. Favourable or bringing luck(d) Auspicious ✅
3. National Museum(e) New Delhi ✅
4. Calendar used all over the world(a) Gregorian Calendar ✅
5. The study of human past(b) History ✅

E. Very Short Answer Questions:

  1. What is the conventional year of Jesus’ birth?
    → 1 CE
  2. How will you write the year in which India gained freedom?
    → 1947 CE
  3. What is the approximate year of the birth of Gautam Buddha?
    → 560 BCE
  4. Give the full form of AD.
    → Anno Domini
  5. What is the period of the last Ice Age?
    → Over 100,000 years ago to around 12,000 years ago

F. Short Answer Questions:

  1. What are fossils? Give an example.
    → Fossils are impressions or remains of plants, animals or humans preserved in rocks or soil.
    Example: Dinosaur bones.
  2. What do palaeontologists study about?
    → They study fossils — the remains of plants, animals, and humans from the distant past.
  3. Who are geologists?
    → Geologists study the physical features of the Earth, like soil, rocks, rivers, and mountains.
  4. Why do people study history?
    → To understand the present world in the light of the past.
  5. The approximate year of birth of Gautam Buddha was 560 BCE. Suppose we are now in the year 2027 CE. How many years ago was Buddha born?
    → 560 + 2027 – 1 = 2,586 years ago

G. Long Answer Questions:

  1. How will you calculate the number of years between a BCE date and a CE date?
    → Add the BCE and CE years and subtract 1.
    Example: 560 BCE to 2027 CE = 560 + 2027 – 1 = 2,586 years
  2. How do you think that understanding the past would help to understand the present world?
    → The past reveals the origins of societies, values, conflicts, and achievements. It helps us learn from past mistakes and understand the world we live in today.
  3. Who are archaeologists? What do they study about?
    → Archaeologists are people who study the past by digging up remains like tools, ornaments, bones, pots, and bricks to reconstruct history.
  4. Which calendar is used worldwide? Explain it.
    → The Gregorian calendar is used worldwide. It has 12 months and 365 days. Every fourth year is a leap year with 366 days, except century years not divisible by 400.

H. Assertion and Reason Questions:

  1. Assertion: The year 1 CE follows immediately the year 1 BCE.
    Reason: In the Gregorian calendar, there is no ‘year zero’.
    → (a) Both Assertion and Reason are true and Reason is the correct explanation of Assertion. ✅
  2. Assertion: History is the study of the human past.
    Reason: The past helps to understand the present world.
    → (a) Both Assertion and Reason are true and Reason is the correct explanation of Assertion. ✅