Study Guide · Chapter 2
1. PREHISTORIC INDIA (STONE AGE)
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1. PREHISTORIC INDIA (STONE AGE)
Prehistory refers to the period before the invention of writing. Indian prehistory is studied on the basis of archaeological evidence (tools, cave paintings, skeletal remains) since no written records exist.
1.1 Classification of Stone Age
| Period | Approx. Time | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Paleolithic (Old Stone Age) | 500,000 BCE – 10,000 BCE | Hunting-gathering; crude stone tools (hand axes, cleavers, choppers); no agriculture, no pottery; lived in caves/rock shelters |
| Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) | 10,000 BCE – 6,000 BCE | Microliths (small stone tools); domestication of animals begins; semi-nomadic |
| Neolithic (New Stone Age) | 6,000 BCE – 1,000 BCE | Agriculture begins; polished stone tools; settled village life; pottery; wheel invented |
| Chalcolithic (Copper-Stone Age) | c. 3,000 BCE – 1,000 BCE | Use of copper along with stone tools; e.g., Ahar, Malwa, Jorwe cultures |
1.2 Paleolithic Age — Sub-divisions
- Lower Paleolithic (500,000–50,000 BCE): Hand axes, cleavers. Sites: Soan Valley (Punjab, now Pakistan), Bhimbetka (Madhya Pradesh), Kurnool caves.
- Middle Paleolithic (50,000–40,000 BCE): Tools based on flakes; sites along Narmada, Soan, Belan rivers.
- Upper Paleolithic (40,000–10,000 BCE): Emergence of Homo sapiens; blade and burin tools. Sites: Bhimbetka, Belan Valley (UP).
1.3 Important Sites
- Bhimbetka (Madhya Pradesh) — UNESCO World Heritage Site; famous for rock paintings/cave shelters spanning Paleolithic to historical times; discovered by V.S. Wakankar (1957-58).
- Mehrgarh (Balochistan, Pakistan) — earliest evidence of agriculture in the Indian subcontinent (Neolithic, c. 7000 BCE); important for understanding the transition to Harappan civilization.
- Burzahom (Kashmir) — Neolithic; pit-dwellings, domestic dogs buried with masters.
- Chirand (Bihar) — Neolithic site on the Ganga.
- Koldihwa (UP) — earliest evidence of rice cultivation.
- Adamgarh (MP) — evidence of domestication of animals.
1.4 Mesolithic Sites
- Bagor (Rajasthan), Adamgarh (MP), Langhnaj (Gujarat), Sarai Nahar Rai (UP).
1.5 Chalcolithic Cultures
- Ahar Culture (Rajasthan) — copper-based; also called Banas culture.
- Malwa Culture (MP) — largest Chalcolithic culture area.
- Jorwe Culture (Maharashtra) — Daimabad, Inamgaon sites; use of black-and-red pottery.
Key Facts / Quick Revision — Prehistoric India
- Paleolithic = Old Stone Age (hunting-gathering, no agriculture)
- Neolithic = New Stone Age (agriculture begins, polished tools, pottery)
- Bhimbetka = rock paintings, discovered by V.S. Wakankar, UNESCO site
- Mehrgarh = earliest farming settlement (Neolithic) in South Asia
- Koldihwa = earliest evidence of rice cultivation
- First metal used by humans = Copper
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