PRE HISTORY

Timeline of Pre-History
1. Paleolithic Period (Old Stone Age): 500,000 BCE – 10,000 BCE
2. Mesolithic Period (Late Stone Age): 10,000 BCE – 6000 BCE
3. Neolithic Period (New Stone Age): 6000 BCE – 1000 BCE
4. Chalcolithic Period (Stone Copper Age): 3000 BCE – 500 BCE
5. Iron Age: 1500 BCE – 200 BCE
Paleolithic Period
(500,000 BCE – 10,000 BCE)
• The Paleolithic Period, also known as the Old Stone Age, was
the earliest period of human development, lasting
approximately 8000 BC.
• The old stone age, or Paleolithic age, in India is divided into
three phases based on the nature of the stone tools used by the
people as well as the nature of climate change.
o Lower Paleolithic Age: up to 100,000 BC
o Middle Paleolithic Age: 100,000 BC – 40,000 BC
o Upper Paleolithic Age: 40,000 BC – 10,000
Lower Paleolithic Age (up to 100,000 BCE)
• It covers the greater part of the Ice Age.
• Hunters and food gatherers; tools used were hand axes, choppers and cleavers. Tools were rough and heavy.
• One of the earliest lower Palaeolithic sites is Bori in Maharashtra.
• Limestone was also used to make tools.
• This age consists of two principal tool-making or cultural traditions:
o The Soanian tradition forming part of the East and Southeast Asian chopper chopping tool tradition, and
o The Handaxe-cleaver or biface assemblages constituting the Acheulian tradition, which is widely known
from the western half of the Old World (African, Western Europe, West and South Asia)
Important sites
• Soan valley, Punjab (in present Pakistan)
• Sites in the Thar Desert
• Kashmir
• Didwana, Rajasthan
• Nagarjunakonda, Andhra Pradesh
• Chirki Nevasa, Maharashtra (Yielded more than 2000 tools)
• Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka, MP
• Belan valley in UP
• Gujarat
• Deccan Plateau
• Chotanagpur plateau
Middle Paleolithic Age (100,000 BCE – 40,000 BCE)
• The Middle Paleolithic industries were largely based upon flakes or small pieces of stone. Principal tools used
were flakes, blades, pointers, scrapers and borers.
• These flakes are produced by specialized techniques. Therefore, it is widely referred to as flake tool industry
• The tools were smaller, lighter and thinner.
• There was a decrease in the use of hand axes with respect to other tools.
Important sites
• Belan valley in UP
• Luni valley (Rajasthan)
• Son and Narmada rivers
• Bhimbetka
• Tungabhadra river valleys
• Potwar Plateau (between Indus & Jhelum)
• Sanghao cave (near Peshawar, Pakistan)
Upper Paleolithic age (40,000 BCE – 10,000 BCE)
• The upper Paleolithic age coincided with the last phase of the ice age when the climate became comparatively
warmer and less humid.
• Emergence of Homo sapiens.
• The period is marked by innovation in tools and technology. A lot of bone tools, including needles, harpoons,
parallel-sided blades, fishing tools and burin tools.
• We find 566 sites in India of Upper Paleolithic Age.
Important sites
• Bhimbhetka (45 kms. South of Bhopal) – hand axes and cleavers, blades, scrapers and a few burins have been
found
• Belan
• Son
• Chota Nagpur plateau (Bihar)
• Maharashtra
• Orissa and
• The Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh
• Bone tools have been found only at cave sites of Kurnool and Muchchatla Chintamani Gavi in Andhra Pradesh.
Mesolithic Period
(10,000 BCE – 6000 BCE)
• It is derived from two Greek words – ‘meso’ meaning middle
and ‘lithic’ meaning stone. Hence, the Mesolithic stage of
prehistory is also known as the ‘Middle Stone Age’.
• It a transitional phase between Paleolithic and the Neolithic age.
• This era's defining tools were microliths.
• The Mesolithic period ends when agriculture begins. As
agriculture developed at different times in different parts of the
world, there is no single date for the end of the Mesolithic
period.
Characteristic features
• The people of this age lived on hunting, fishing and food gathering initially but later on they also domesticated
animals and cultivated plants, thereby paving the way for agriculture.
• The first animal to be domesticated was the wild ancestor of the dog. Sheep and goats were the most common
domesticated animals.
• The Mesolithic people lived in semi-permanent settlements along with occupying caves and open grounds.
• The people of this era believed in life after death and hence they buried the dead with food items and other
goods.
• The Mesolithic men started to wear clothes made of animal skin.
• The Mesolithic people were art lovers and initiated rock art. The subject matter of these paintings was mostly
wild animals and hunting scenes, dancing and food collection were also depicted in such paintings. These rock
paintings give an idea about the development of religious practices and also reflect the division of labour on the
basis of gender.
• The first human colonization of the Ganga Plains happened during this period.
Principal Tools Used
• The characteristic tools of this era were microliths – the miniature stone tools usually made of
crypto-crystalline silica, chalcedony or chert, both of geometrical and non-geometrical shapes. They were not
only used as tools but were also used to make composite tools, spearheads, arrowheads, and sickles after
hafting them on wooden or bone handles. These microliths enabled the Mesolithic man to hunt smaller animals
and birds.
• Another type of tool used by the Mesolithic people is called the Macrolith. These were bigger than Microliths,
and were a continuation of the Upper Paleolithic types such as scrapers.
• Bone and antler tools are yet another category of tools used by the Mesolithic people.
Important sites
• Bagor in Rajasthan is one of the biggest and best-documented Mesolithic sites in India. Bagor is on river
Kothari where microliths along with animal bones and shells have been excavated.
• Adamgarh, Madhya Pradesh - Earliest evidence for the domestication of animals.
• There are about 150 Mesolithic rock art sites across India, with a rich concentration in Central India such as
Bhimbetka caves (Madhya Pradesh), Kharwar, Jaora and Kathotia (M.P), Sundargarh and Sambalpur (Odisha),
Ezhuthu Guha (Kerala).
• Valleys of river Tapi, Sabarmati, Narmada, and Mahi - Microliths
• Langhnaj, Gujarat - Bones of wild animals (rhinoceros, blackbuck, etc.)
• Though pottery is absent at most Mesolithic sites, they have been found in Langhnaj (Gujarat) and in the
Kaimur region of Mirzapur (U.P).
• Biharanpur, West Bengal
Important sites …Cont.
• Tilwara, Bagor, Ganeshwar in Rajasthan
• Tarsang in Gujarat
• Patne, Pachad, Hatkhamba in Maharashtra
• Morkhana, Lekhahia, Baghai Khor, Sarai Nahar Rai, Mahadaha, Damdama,
• Chopani Mando, Baidha Putpurihwa in Uttar Pradesh
• Pachmarhi, Adamgarh, Putli Karar, Bhimbetka, Baghor II, Baghor III,
• Ghagharia in Madhya Pradesh
• Paisra in Bihar
• Kuchai in Odisha
• Muchatla Chintamanu Gavi, Gauri Gundam in Andhra Pradesh
• Sanganakallu in Karnataka
• Tenmalai in Kerala.
Neolithic Period
(6000 BCE – 1000 BCE)
• It is derived from two Greek words – ‘Neo’ meaning new and
‘lithic’ meaning stone. Hence, the Neolithic stage of prehistory
is also known as the ‘New Stone Age’.
• The Neolithic Age is distinguished by the development of
settled agriculture and the use of polished stone tools and
weapons.
• Oldest known neolithic site of Indian subcontinent attributed to
7000 B.C.E. is Mehgarh, Baluchistan. It is located on the bank
of Bolan river in the Kochi Plain and is known as ‘bread basket’
of Baluchistan.
Characteristic features
Tools and Weapons
• Unlike the Palaeolithic (Old Stone Age) period, people in this period began to use polished stone tools and
axes, often called celts. The use of celts was especially important for ground and polished hand axes.
• The people used microlithic blades in addition to tools made of polished stones.
• They also used tools and weapons made of bones – such as needles, scrapers, borers, arrowheads, etc.
• The use of new polished tools made it easier for humans to cultivate, hunt and perform other activities in a
better manner.
Agriculture
• The people of the Neolithic age cultivated ragi, horse gram (Kulati), cotton, rice, wheat, and barley.
• They also domesticated cattle, sheep and goats.
Characteristic features …Cont.
Pottery
• With the advent of agriculture, people were required to store their food grains as well as to cook, eat the
product, etc. That’s why it is said that pottery appeared in this phase on a large scale.
• The pottery of this period was classified under greyware, black-burnished ware, and mat impressed ware. In
the initial stages of the Neolithic age, handmade pottery was made but later on, foot wheels were used to
make pots.
Housing and Settled Life
• The people of Neolithic age lived in rectangular or circular houses which were made of mud and reeds.
• The people of Mehrgarh lived in mud-brick houses while pit-dwelling is reported from Burzahom, the
Neolithic site found in Kashmir.
• Neolithic men also knew how to make boats and could spin cotton, wool and weave cloth.
• Large villages developed and permanent residences were built. The people of the Neolithic age led a more
settled life and paved the way for the beginning of civilization.
• Further, the surplus food production was one of the main factors for the development of early urban cultures.
Important sites
• Koldihwa and Mahagara (lying south of Allahabad) – This site provides evidence of circular huts along with crude hand
made pottery. There is also evidence of rice, which is the oldest evidence of rice, not only in India but anywhere in the
world.
• Mehrgarh (Balochistan, Pakistan) – The earliest Neolithic site, where people lived in houses built of sun-dried bricks and
cultivated crops like cotton and wheat.
• Burzahom (Kashmir) – The domestic dogs were buried along with their masters in their graves; people lived in pits and
used tools made of polished stones as well as bones.
• Gufkral (Kashmir) – This neolithic site is famous for pit dwelling, stone tools and graveyards in houses.
• Chirand (Bihar) – The neolithic men used tools and weapons made of bones.
• Piklihal, Brahmagiri, Maski, Takkalakota, Hallur (Karnataka) – The people were cattle herders. They domesticated sheep
and goats. Ash mounds have also been found here.
• Utnur, Pallavoy, Nagarjunakonda, Ramapuram and Veerapuram in Andhra Pradesh and Paiyyampalli in Tamil Nadu
• Belan Valley (which is located on the northern spurs of the Vindhyas and middle part of Narmada valley) – All the three
phases i.e., palaeolithic, mesolithic and neolithic ages are found in sequence.
• North-East - Assam, Garo Hills (Meghalaya)
Chalcolithic Period
(3000 BCE – 500 BCE)
• The Chalcolithic Age marked the emergence of the use of metal
along with stone tools.
• The first metal to be used was copper.
• The chalcolithic age largely applied to the pre-Harappan phase,
but in many parts of the country, it appears after the end of the
bronze Harappan culture.
• The period is also known as the Eneolithic or Aeneolithic
Characteristic features
Tools and Weapons
• Metals such as copper and its alloys were used to make knives, axes, fishing hooks, chisels, pins, and rods.
Agriculture
• They domesticated cows, sheep, goats, pig and buffaloes and hunted deer. It is not clear whether they were
acquainted with the horse or not.
• People ate beef but did not take pork on any considerable scale. The people of the Chalcolithic phase
produced wheat and rice, they also cultivated bajra.
• The major crops cultivated were barley and wheat, lentil, bajra, jowar, ragi millets, green pea, green and
black gram. Almost all these food grains have been found at Navdatoli.
• The people belonging to the eastern regions lived mainly on fish and rice, which is still a popular diet in that
part of the country. While Western India cultivated Barley and Wheat.
Characteristic features …Cont.
Pottery
• The people of the stone-copper phase used different types of pottery, one of which is called black and red
pottery and seems to have been widely prevalent in that era. The ochre-colored pottery was also popular.
• A main identifying characteristic of the Chalcolithic period is polychrome painted pottery. Ceramic forms
found on Chalcolithic sites include “fenestrated pottery”, pots with openings cut into the walls
• The potter’s wheel was used and painting with white linear designs was also done.
Housing and Settled Life
• The people living in the stone age were characterised by rural settlements and were not acquainted with
burnt bricks.
• They lived in thatched houses made of mud bricks. This age also marked the beginning of social inequalities,
as chiefs lived in rectangular houses while the commoners lived in round huts.
• Their villages consisted of more than 35 houses of different sizes, circular or rectangular in shape. The
chalcolithic economy is considered as a village economy.
Characteristic features …Cont.
Art & Craft
• The chalcolithic people were expert coppersmiths, ivory carvers, lime makers, and terracotta artisans. They
knew the art of copper smelting and were good stone workers as well.
• They knew spinning and weaving and were well acquainted with the art of manufacturing cloth. However,
they did not know the art of writing.
• Ornaments were made from semiprecious stones and beads such as agate, jasper, chalcedony, and carnelian
were used.
Worship
• Small clay images of earth goddesses have been found from the chalcolithic sites. It is thus possible to say
that they venerated the Mother Goddess.
• In Malwa and Rajasthan, stylised bull terracottas show that the bull served as a religious cult.
Limitations of Chalcolithic Phase
• Chalcolithic people could not make full use of domestic animals as they used them only for food and not for
milk (they thought that milk is for animals’ young ones).
• They did not do much of cultivation. They lived in black cotton soil area which required iron tools for
cultivation and there are no traces of plough or hoe.
• Chalcolithic phase did not show longevity. There are traces of a large number of children buried which indicate
lack of nutrition and outbreak of epidemics.
• People had no knowledge of mixing tin and copper so they could not use the stronger metal called bronze.
Copper had its own limitations and its supply was also less.
• People were not aware of the art of writing and they could not gain any benefit from the technical knowledge
of the Indus people.
• Chalcolithic cultures in central and western India disappeared by 1200 BC or thereabout; only the Jorwe
culture continued until 700 BC.
• Chalcolithic habitations is attributed to a decline in rainfall from about 1200 BC onwards, but in West Bengal
and in the mid Gangetic zone, they continued for a long time.
Important Sites
Indus Region Saurashtra Region Narmada Region Maharashtra Other Sites
(a) Mohenjodaro (a) Rangpur (a) Navdatoli (a) Jorwe Karnataka - Brahmagiri,
(b) Harappa (b) Ahar (b) Maheshwar (b) Nasik Pikhlihal, Maski
(c) Ropar (c) Prashas Patan (c) Bhagatrav (c) Prakash Bihar - Seuar, Sonpur,
(d) Suratgarh (d) Lakhabawal (d) Telod (d) Nevasa Taradih
(e) Hanumangarh (e) Lothal (e) Mehgam (e) Daimabad Eastern UP - Khairadih,
(f) Channudaro (f) Pithadia (f) Hasanpur (g) Chandoli Narhan
(g) Jhukar (g) Rojdi (h) Songaon Pandu Rajar Dhibi, Mahisdal
(h) Amri (h) Adkot (i) Inamgaon (WB)
(i) Jhangar
CHALCOLITHIC
CULTURES
Ahar-Banas Culture (2100 BCE – 1500 BCE)
• Ahar, Balthal, Gilund, and other locations close to the Banas River are examples of Ahar-Banas Culture places
in Rajasthan.
• Original name of Ahar was Tambawati meaning a place of Copper
• Ahar culture had a rich ceramic tradition consisting of Tan ware, thin Red ware, Black and Red ware and Grey
ware.
• The identifying characteristic is the black and scarlet clothing.
• Ahar virtually used no microlithic tools; stone tools or blades are virtually absent.

Malwa Culture (2100 BCE – 1500 BCE)

• The Chalcolithic settlement of Narmada and its streams is one of the most significant. Diamabad, situated on
the Pravara River’s left bank, is the most important Chalcolithic site.
• Daimabad, Inamgaon, Kayatha, Nagda, Vidisha, Eran, Mandsaur, and Navdatoli are some of the most
significant Malwa cultural sites (near Maheshwar).
• A huge defensive wall and a moat have been found at Eran.
Jorwe Culture (1300 BCE - 700 BCE)
• On the Godavari River’s banks in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar region is the village and archaeological site of
Jorwe.
• Under the supervision of Hasmukh Dhirajlal Sankalia and Shantaram Bhalchandra Deo, this site was first
explored in 1950–1951.
• More than 200 sites of the Jorwe culture have been found in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and other regions.
The largest it Daimabad in the Godavari Valley.
Kayatha Culture
• The primary characteristic of this Rajasthani hamlet close to Chambal and its tributaries is the robust red
slipped ware with chocolate designs.

Prabhas & Rangpur Culture

• They both come from the Harappan civilization. The distinctive feature of this civilization is its polished red
ware.
Questions & Answers