Fossil
Topic: Prehistory: Human Origins and Stone Age Cultures · NCERT: Class 6, Ch 4 "Timeline and Sources of History"
Meaning
A fossil is what is left of a plant, animal or human from the distant past. It can be the actual remains, such as bones or teeth, or a trace or impression, such as a footprint. Fossils form when remains lie under layers of earth for thousands or millions of years and slowly turn to stone. Prehistory has no writing, so fossils are one of the two main kinds of evidence for it. The other kind is the stone tools that early humans threw away.
Example
At Attirampakkam in Tamil Nadu (c. 1.5–1.7 million years ago) and Isampur in Karnataka (c. 1.2 million years ago), animal fossils were found together with stone tools. This shows that early humans lived and hunted there.
Don't confuse with
- Artefact: an artefact is an object made or used by humans, such as a handaxe or a bead. A fossil is the natural remains or trace of a living thing.