<h1>History Class 6: Burials</h1>Meta Title: History class 6: Burials: UPSC Note on History class 6: Burials by Unacademy&nbsp;Meta Description: Burials: Megaliths, Burial Practices at Inamgaon historical importance and facts about burials, and related concepts are explained thoroughly in this article. &nbsp;It is said that the practice of burying dead people started some 3000 years ago in India. Megaliths or large stones were used to indicate the place where the dead were buried. We still find this practice in various cultures of India. However, 3000 years ago, people living in southern regions, Kashmir, and Deccan plateau were involved in such burial practices. The people who died were buried with the help of pots known as Red and Black Ware. In the excavations carried out by historians to study burials, it was found that the belongings of the dead people were buried with them. <h2>How did burials indicate social difference?</h2>The practice of leaving the belongings of the dead people with them also highlights the social difference. It is because we find gold and copper beads along with other precious items nearby some skeletons. However, other skeletons only have earthen pots and less valuable items near them. <h3>Multiple bodies in the same chamber</h3>The process of burying multiple dead bodies in the same chamber is also found in some places. Historians believe that the people who belonged to the same family were buried in them. A hole or opening was created in the chamber so that it could be used to insert the dead bodies of other family members after their death. <h3>Stone Boulders </h3>On some burial sites, archaeologists found a large Megalith surrounded by smaller stone boulders. It was concluded that such signs indicate that burials are beneath the ground. <h2>Things found on the burial sites</h2>Besides the burials, archaeologists found conch shells, weapons made of iron and animal skeletons, earthen pots with black and red colors, copper, gold, and stone shells, etc. Even ornaments of gold and stone were found near the skeletons. &nbsp;In one of the burial sites at Brahmagiri, archaeologists found 2 stone beads, one conch shell, and 33 gold beads. However, there were only pots beside the other skeletons. &nbsp; <h2>Inamgaon and its significance in studying burials</h2>In Maharashtra that lies in the Western part of India, a village of the post-Harappan period was found during excavation. When excavated, the place reflected burials where people were buried in pits after their death. Even vessels containing food and water were kept beside the body. &nbsp;The burial practices at Inamgaon provided strange facts to the archaeologists. These burial sites were strangely found either inside or outside the verandah of the house. Megaliths (huge rocks) were used to mark burials of Inamgaon as well. <h3>Occupation At Inamgaon</h3>Agriculture was among the primary occupations at Inamgaon. It is confirmed through the excavated sites that show evidence of wheat, barley, pulses, rice, sesame, and other crops. Even the remains of fruits like amla, ber, Jamun, and dates were found in these burial sites. <h3>Animals found At Inamgaon </h3>Aquatic Animals - Crabs, fishes, turtles, and crocodiles were also found in the sites near the burials. &nbsp;Terrestrial Animals - Evidence of cattle, horse, dog, sheep, donkey, buffalo, goat, antelope, mongoose, black bug, spotted deer, sambhar, pig, and hare were found in Inamgaon’s burial sites. &nbsp;People also consumed animal flesh as food as marks of cutting tools have been found on the animal bones. <h3>Differentiation between male and female skeletons</h3>As the burials were ancient, the skeletons were decomposing and archaeologists had to study them minutely. However, after careful examination, it became evident that some skeletons had wider and prominent hips where some of them were normal. The skeletons with prominent hips were those of women and the other skeletons were of men. <h3>Special burials at Inamgaon</h3>Some of the burial practices at Inamgaon are considered to be special because of the tomb-like vessels used to bury the dead. Some of these burial sites had burials that are at least 2000 to 3600 years old. &nbsp;A special burial place was found in which a male skeleton was enclosed in a huge clay jar. It consisted of 4 legs that helped the body to rest in a sleeping position. The jar was buried in the courtyard that was large and in front of a multi-storeyed house. &nbsp;Some equipment and pieces of decoration were found on these tombs reflecting that they were the burial places of rich people. <h3>Some noteworthy dates from the reference point of Inamgaon and burial traditions </h3>Composition of Rigveda - 15700 B.C is supposed to be the period when Rigveda i.e. the first among the four Vedas of the Hindu religion was composed. It originated some 3500 years ago. &nbsp;Inamgaon Settlement - The village of Inamgaon is at least 3600 years old. It means that this settlement started around the same period when Rigveda was composed. &nbsp;End of Inamgaon - The settlement of the Inamgaonsubsequently ended some 2700 years ago around 700 B.C.&nbsp;Charaka Samhita - Approximately 2000 years ago, a renowned physician called Charaka wrote the book Charaka Samhita. It consists of medicinal practices and revelations on human anatomy. According to Charaka Samhita, the human body has 300 bones. This figure includes bones, cartilages, and teeth. Today, modern anatomy says that a human body has around 206 bones. However, this figure does not include teeth and cartilages. Therefore, note that Charaka was accurate with the figures. <h3>The earliest evidence of writing in Chinese culture</h3>In China, people used to write on animal bones that were also known as oracle bones. The earliest of these writings is said to be at least 3500 years ago. It means that Rigveda and the earliest evidence of Chinese writing are from the same period. <h2>FAQs</h2>1. What do the burial sites indicate?&nbsp;The burial sites and burials, in general, indicate that the tradition of burying the dead was practiced in India long before we assume. Also, ancient people thought that dead people needed to be respected and placed valuable items near their bodies. The intention of burying a body is to keep it away from the crowd to provide peace and sanctity to the dead. It is also essential from the archaeological point of view as it consists of the political, social, and economic evidence of the past. Apart from reflecting the social status of the people, the burials also reflect the social discrimination of the past. People buried the rich with valuable items and simple items like pots beside the bodies of the poor. &nbsp;2. Explain the meaning of Megaliths.&nbsp;In ancient burial sites, people used Megaliths to indicate that the ground beneath these stones consists of dead bodies. It was an attempt to prevent people from digging these places for agriculture or other places. Through these Megaliths, the people were able to recognize the burials of their relatives and friends. Megaliths are nothing but massive rocks found in several parts of the country. Some of these rocks were standing on the ground and some were buried under the ground. The southern parts of India, Kashmir, and Deccan plateau. &nbsp;3. Did the burials depict social differences?&nbsp;Yes, the burials depicted social differences of the past as some bodies had valuable items like gold next to them whereas others had ordinary items like stones and shells. &nbsp;4. How old are the burials of Inamgaon?&nbsp;The burials of Inamgaon are around 2000 to 3600 years old. <h2>Conclusion </h2>The historical importance of burials is explained in this chapter. These pieces of information from various subjects help candidates to prepare for the UPSC exams. All the study materials and question banks can be found on the website of Unacademy. Unacademy is India’s largest educational company based on technology. It tries to provide an intuitive platform for the candidates who are preparing for the competitive exams. Check this website if you want to grasp all the study materials required to excel in UPSC exams! &nbsp;References:<a href="https://edurev.in/studytube/Chapter-Notes-Chapter-5-What-Book-and-Burial-Tell-/26382ebb-4008-48c8-869f-2d155c143422_t" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: windowtext;">https://edurev.in/studytube/Chapter-Notes-Chapter-5-What-Book-and-Burial-Tell-/26382ebb-4008-48c8-869f-2d155c143422_t</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vedantu.com/revision-notes/cbse-class-6-social-science-history-chapter-4-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: windowtext;">https://www.vedantu.com/revision-notes/cbse-class-6-social-science-history-chapter-4-notes</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://byjus.com/ncert-solutions-class-6-social-science-history-chapter-4-what-books-and-burials-tell-us/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: windowtext;">https://byjus.com/ncert-solutions-class-6-social-science-history-chapter-4-what-books-and-burials-tell-us/</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;

History Class 6: Burials

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