STONE AGE
History is derived from Greek word – Historia (inquiry) is the study of the past.
DIVISION OF HISTORY
Pre-history Proto-history History
Events that Period between pre-history and invention of writing
occurred before the history. Writing can be there but script and the study of literate
invention of writing is still un-deciphered and we get societies based on
Ex: Stone Age ,Early information from other Civilization written records and
Chalcolithic Period Ex : Indus valley Civilization archaeological sources
In India, the research on Stone Age Civilization was started in 1863.
Chopper chopping pebbles pieces of tools were at first obtained from Sohan River valley,
Punjab (Pakistan).
At first hand axe pieces of equipment were found in Vadanadurai and Attirapkkam near
Madras. Robert Bruce Foote was a British geologist and archaeology. Robert Bruce Foote
picked up a stone tool on the Parade Ground at Pallavaram cantonment, near Chennai. It turned
out to be an epochal discovery. It was a hand-axe made of a hard rock called quartzite.
Prehistoric man had crafted it to dig out tubers and roots from the soil, butcher animals he
had hunted and take out & eat, and so on.
Note: In India, Mesolithic can start from 10000 BC and can go up to 6000BC. And Neolithic can start
from 8000 to 6000 and can go up to 1000BC in south India. In our notes, we are considering a rough
division of time period and majorly a chronology is important from exam perspective rather than exact
time lines as it will vary from area to area.
STONE AGE (600000 B.C. - 4000B.C.)
Dimensions Paleolithic Age (600000 B.C.-10000 B.C.) Mesolithic Age Neolithic Age
Lower Middle Upper (10000 B.C.-8000 (8000B.C.-
B.C.) 4000B.C)
Climate Ice Age Ice Age Ice Age Holocene Era Holocene
Human Homo-Erectus Neanderthals Emergences Homo Sapiens Homo Sapiens
Specie of Homo
s Sapiens
Occupations Hunting and Hunting and Hunting and Hunting and Hunting and
Gathering Gathering Gathering Gathering Gathering
Domesticatio NO NO NO YES(1st animal YES
n Of Animal was Dog )
Common :
Sheep
and Goat
Agriculture NO NO NO NO YES
1st - Barley
Technology - Flakes Flints Microliths Polished Tools
Types Hand Use of hand Bone tools Composite tools, Use of Celts for
of Axe axe Needles spearheads, ground
Tools Chopper declined Harpoons arrowheads, and Bone tools i.e.
Cleavers Blades Parallel-sided sickles after needles, scrapers,
Pointers blades hafting them on borers,
Scrapers Fishing and wooden or bone arrowheads
Borers Burin tools handles
Geometrical and
Non-
Geometrical
shapes
Stone used Limestone Quartzite Chert , Jasper Agate Dyke,
Quartzite(Qu Basalt,
a-rtzite Men) Dolomite
Cloths NO NO NO YES- Animal skin Yes
Houses Caves and Caves and Caves and Semi-permanent Rectangular or
rock shelters. rock shelters. rock shelters. settlements circular houses ,
Caves and made of mud and
open grounds. reeds
Burials NO NO NO Yes Yes
Pottery NO No No Some references Grey ware,
Langhnaj Black-burnished
Mirzapur (U.P) ware, & Mat-
impressed
ware
Art (Paintings) NO No 1st evidence Themes: social life, sexual activity,
(Rock child birth, rearing of children and
Paintings): burial ceremony, dancing and food
Animals , collection ,family life , women in
hunter, cloth
dancers Reflects: Religious practices &
images Gender based labour division
Major Sites UP :Belan UP :Belan MP: Rajasthan:Bagor Kashmir:Burzaho
Valley MP : Valley MP : Bhimbetka UP: M.P-Adamgarh, m ,Gufrakal
Bhimbetka Bhimbetka Belan Son Bhimbetka,Khar Pakistan
Rajasthan Rajasthan Bihar : Chota war, Jaora and :Mehargarg UP:
:Sites in Thar :Sites nearLuni Nagpur Kathotia Lahuradev
Cauvery river etc plateau Gujarat-Langhnaj MP: Bhimbhetka
etc Odisha -
Sundargarh and
Sambalpur
Important Sites
Age Site Evidence
Name of
PALAEO Kurnool and Muchchatla Bone tools
LITHIC Chintamani Gavi (AP)
MESO Bagor (Rajasthan) Best Documented Site (Kothari River) , Earliest domestication of
L Animal
I Adamgarh (M.P) Earliest evidence of domestication of Animal
T Damdama(Pratapgarh,UP ) 41 human graves including 5 Double & 1 Triple Burial,
H Ornaments and pointed objects of bone
I Mahadaha (Pratapgarh) A large no. of implements made of bones and horns
C SaraiNahar Rai (Pratapgarh) 4 Skelton in a grave ,Bone Ornaments and pointed Bone Objects
Langhnaj(Gujrat) Bones of wild animals (rhinoceros, blackbuck, etc.), Pottery
NEO Koldihwa & Mahagara Circular huts along with crude handmade pottery
L (Allahabad) One of the oldest evidence of rice
I Lahuradev (Kabir Nagar ) Earliest Evidence of Rice /agriculture as per New research
T Mehrgarh (Pakistan) Use of Sun-dried bricks , One of the earliest evidence of
H
Wheat ,One of Earliest evidence of Agriculture and
I
AnimalDomestication , Earliest Evidence of Settled Life
C
Burzahom (Kashmir) Domestic dogs with masters in graves , Pit dwelling
Gufkral (Kashmir) Pit dwelling, stone tools and graveyards in houses
Chirand (Bihar) Neolithic men used tools and weapons made of bones
SanganaKallu Ash Mounds of burnt relics of seasonal herdsmen
(Karnataka) camps
Lohanda Nala(Belan Valley ) : Bone Made Mother Goddess
Lekhahiya (Vindhyan): 27 Human skelton in one rock shelters
Belan Valley : All 3 phases palaeolithic, mesolithic and neolithic are found in sequence
Evidence of grains : Barley (1st ) , Wheat (2nd) ,Rice ( 3rd)
Note : Earliest evidence of Agriculture in Indian Subcontinent will be Lahuradev if it is in
Options if not then Mehargarh will be the option
