Ancient, Medieval and Modern History

Chapter one
The Stone Age
Lower Palaeolithic Age Sites
Stone Age
Sites States
The term ‘Stone Age’ is — The age when the pre-historic man
began to use stones for utilitarian Belan Valley Madhya Pradesh and
used to describe a Uttar Pradesh
purpose is termed as the Stone Age.
period of human The stone age is divided into three Bhimbetka, Jogdaha Madhya Pradesh
evolution where stone broad divisions: Bagor, Budha Pushkar Rajasthan
was used as the most Pre-History Patne, Nandipalle Maharashtra
hardest material for Renugunta, Kurnool Andhra Pradesh
making tools. The stone Palaeolithic Mesolithic Neolithic Caves
Age Age Age Singhbhum Jharkhand
age started around 2 to
2.5 million years ago. Sohan Valley West Punjab
Lower Middle Upper (Pakistan)
The transition out of Palaeolithic Palaeolithic Palaeolithic
the stone age occurred
The Middle Palaeolithic Age
between 6000 BC and Palaeolithic Age
(50000 - 40000 BC)
2500 BC. Man is said to Hunters and Food
have appeared on the It’s tool pattern is based upon flakes and
Gatherers (Upto 9000 BC)
—

crude pebble industry. The dominant tool

Earth (first in Africa) in — The term Palaeolithic was coined by types being blades, points and borers.
the early Pleistocene, archaeologist John Lubbock in 1865 and
with true ox, elephant refers to a pre-historic era distinguished Middle Palaeolithic Age Sites
by the development of the first stone Sites States
and horse. Bori in
tools made of Quartzite. Hence,
Maharashtra gives the Nevasa Maharashtra
Palaeolithic men are also called as
earliest evidence of Bhimbetka,Narmada Valley Madhya Pradesh
Quartzite Men.
man in India, in the — Traditionally, the Palaeolithic age is Bagor,Karmali Valley, Rajasthan
Didwana
middle Pleistocene divided into three periods: the Lower
Palaeolithic, Middle Palaeolithic and the Singhbhum Jharkhand
period.
Upper Palaeolithic; on the basis of the
nature of stone tools made by human The Upper Palaeolithic Age
beings as well as due to the changes in
(40000 -10000 BC)
the climate.
— It is characterised by burins, scrappers,
The Lower Palaeolithic Age flint industry and appearance of modern
(500000 - 50000 BC) man (homo sapiens).
— It is the earliest sub-division of the — Animal remains found in the Belan valley
Palaeolithic or Old Stone Age. The tools in Mirzapur district in Uttar Pradesh
of this phase include mainly hand-axes, shows that goats, sheep and cattle were
cleavers, choppers and chopping tools. exploited.
2 Magbook ~ Indian History

Upper Palaeolithic Age Sites Some Important Features of

Sites States Neolithic Sites
Kurnool Caves Andhra Pradesh — Kashmir Only site where microlith is completely absent.
Belan Valley Madhya Pradesh and UP — Chirand and Kashmir Only sites which has yielded
Nevasa Maharashtra considerable bone implements.
Sabarmati Valley Gujarat — Burzahom Domestic dogs were buried with their
Singrauli Madhya Pradesh masters in their graves.
Kichler Andhra Pradesh — Allahabad District Cultivation of rice in the 6th
Hungsi Valley Karnataka millennium BC.
Attirampakkam Tamil Nadu Neolithic Age Sites
Pahalgam Kashmir
Sites States
Hathnora, Narmada Valley, Madhya Pradesh
Bhimbetka, Adamgarh Burzahom, Gufkral Kashmir
Kortallayar Valley Tamil Nadu Mehrgarh, Kili Gul Muhammad Baluchistan
Daojali Hading Assam
Mesolithic Age Chopani Mando, Mahagarha Uttar Pradesh
Hunters and Herders (9000 - 4000 BC) Chirand, Chechar Bihar
— It was a transitional phase between the Palaeolithic age and Tekkalakota, Sanganakallu, Narsipur, Karnataka
the Neolithic age. Mesolithic period is technologically Hallur, Kupgal, Kodekal, Brahmagiri
characterised by microliths or small pointed and sharp stone Nagarjunakonda, Piklihal, Utnur Andhra Pradesh
tools. Paiyanpalli Tamil Nadu
— Adamgarh in Madhya Pradesh and Bagor in Rajasthan provide
the earliest evidence for the domestication of animals like cows, Chalcolithic Age (1800 -1000 BC)
horses and other poultry and farm animals. Sites like — These people used copper and bronze to make a
Bhimbetka, Adamgarh, Partapgarh and Mirzapur are rich in range of utilitarian tools. This phase or period is
Mesolithic art and paintings. termed as the Chalcolithic age. A number of such sites
Mesolithic Age Sites have been found in the Chota Nagpur plateau region,
the upper Gangetic basin, Karnataka and near the
Sites States
Langhnaj Gujarat
banks of river Narmada. Neither plough nor has been
found at Chalcolithic sites. They practiced Jhum
Tilwara, Bagor Rajasthan
cultivation.
Patne, Hatkhamba Maharashtra
Damdama, Chopani Mando Uttar Pradesh Chalcolithic Age Sites
Pachmarhi, Bhimbetka, Adamgarh Madhya Pradesh Sites States
Sanganakallu Karnataka Ahar-Banas Rajasthan
Gauri Gundam Andhra Pradesh Kayatha, Malwa, Eran Madhya Pradesh
Nevasa, Daimabad, Nanyang Maharashtra
Neolithic Age
Food Producers (4000 -1800 BC) Chalcolithic Culture
— The Neolithic age or the New Stone age was the last phase of — Ahar Culture The sites of Ahar culture were Ahar
the Stone age. It is characterised by the use of polished stone (Rajasthan), Balathal, Gilund etc. The distinctive
tools and the beginning of cultivation of crops. An important feature is black and red ware.
invention of this time was the making of the wheel and the — Kayatha Culture Located in Chambal and its
discovery of fire. tributaries, the sturdy red slipped ware with chocolate
— The four major characteristics traits that represent the designs is main feature.
Neolithic culture are as follows : — Malwa Culture Narmada and its tributaries in Gujarat.
— Beginning of the practice of agriculture. One of the largest Chalcolithic settlements.
— Domestication of animals. — Savalda Culture The well-known sites are in Dhule
— Use of polished stone tools. district of Maharashtra.
— The manufacture of pottery. — Prabhas and Rangpur Culture Both of them are
— Mehrgarh in Baluchistan (Pakistan) is the oldest Neolithic site derived from the Harappa culture. The polished red
in Indian sub-continent (7000 BC). ware is the hall mark of this culture.