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📜Indian Prehistory for UPSC – Complete Stone Age & Neolithic Notes




PRE -HISTORY

 


STONE AGE :

  1. PALEOLITHIC AGE -1 LAKH BC - 40,000 BC 
  2. MESOLITHIC AGE - 40,000 BC
  3. NEOLITHIC AGE - 9,000 BC 

1. PALEOLITHIC AGE -3 SUB -PARTS 

  1. UPPER PALEOLITHIC :
SITES : SOHAN VALLEY
               BELAN VALLEY
               NARMADA VALLEY

TOOLS USED:
                HAND AXES
                CHOPPERS

                CLEAVERS

OCCUPATION : 
                  HUNTING 
                  GATHERING

2.  MIDDLE PALEOLITHIC:

 SITES:
              NARMADA VALLEY
              TUNGBODRO VALLEY
 
TOOLS: AXES 
                CHOPPERS

OCCUPATION:
                 HUNTING
                 GATHERING 

3. LOWER PALEOLITHIC - Two major changes occured

1.INCREASE IN TEMPERATURE 
        
 ICE MELTED ➜ APPEARANCE OF WATER BODIES

                               Evaporation from water bodies

                               heavy rainfall
 
                                appearance of thick forests and green belts  

APPEARANCE OF DIFFERENT SPECIES due to water bodies and forests 
  •  PLANT AND ANIMALS   e.g- birds, rabbits,deers 
APPERANCE OF HOMOSAPIENCES
            
  • Short height
  • Less strenght 

 OCCUPATION:
  • Hunting birds and animals
TOOLS WERE AXES


2.MESOLITHIC AGE:

  • Also known as the age of the microliths
  • FLINT TOOLS - AZES ,AXES , BLADES , CHERTS
  • The size and weight of tools got reduced


IMPORTANT SITES : BAGOR (RAJASTHAN)
                                        ADMAGARH (M. P)

OCCUPATION  were hunting gathering digging fishing domestication of animals 

3. NEOLITHIC AGE:
  • TOOLS were modified shape&size and polished 
 THE SITES found in 5 separate zones cenral india , north , south , east and north west

  •  NORTH-WEST -  a no. of sites excavated   eg. mehargarh (balochistan) ,killinghul                                                                                                                    muhammad,rana ghundai
  • FIRST evidence of agriculture around 7000 BC 
          CROPS - Barley and Wheat 
                                                 GUFRA KAL ( POTTER`S CAVE)
    
       IMPORTANT FINDS 
  1. Pit Dwellings 
  2. Skeletons of Humans and Animals(Dogs)
  3. Potteries - with sketches similar to the sketches found on the china Border➜evidence of the                                                                                     interaction between theneoliyhic settlements
         SITES :  Koldihwa ➜ First evidence of wild rice cultivation
                        chopni mandu

             EASTERN ZONE 
                                       SITES- SENUAR ( ROHTAS)
                                                   -CHIRAND ( SONPUR ZONE OF BIHAR)
       FINDS- 
  • Evidence of agriculture                                                      
  • Use of animal bones & holm
           e.g  Antages Holm for hunting and agriculture➜for digging land

  • AROUND 2200 BC LATE NEOLITHIC PHASE
       SOUTHERN ZONE 
  • SITES - Piklihal , Maski
        ➜Evidence of domestication of animals 
                 
           Pastrocism as the main occupation

                                            
 # GENERAL FEATURE OF NEOLITHIC AGE
  1. Agriculture as an occupation adopted
  • Thus life became static( permanent settlement)
  • mud houses appear ( hut type structure)➜ found in cluster
      2. Appearance of community
  • common language
  • common believes, faith & practices
      3. New technique adopted
  • Pottery making➜ for preserving food and water , cooking foods
     4. Terracota figurines
  • make the performing washing
      5. Domestication of the animals
  • safety and agricultural purposes
  • reserved food

   #  CHALCOLITHIC AGE - 2100 BC -700 BC

   CHALCOLITHIC = COPPER+STONE
  • Use of copper and stone tools and weapons.

  • important sites-1. AHAR AND GILUND CULTURE ( S-E RAJASTHAN)
                                      2. MALWA CULTURE (western M.P )

                                      3. ZORWE CULTURE ( western maharashtra)

ZORWE CULTURE :
IMPORTANT SITES
1. Idangaon ➜ semi urban zone 
2. Songaon
3.Daniabad ➜ a large copper hoard found 
  • COPPER USED FOR MAKING TOOLS , WEAPONS , UTENSILS
MALWA CULTURE : 
SITES
1.Malwa
2.Eran
3.Kayath➜ a spindle whorl has been excavated

AHAR AND GILUND CULTURE:

COPPER ZONE ➜ KHETRI MINES
max. zone of using copper for making tools and weapons


# GENERAL FEATURES OF CHALCOLITHIC AGE
  1. Agriculture and pastrolism the main occupation
  2. Illiterate society ➜There is no evidence of interaction between the various cultural zones
  3. Agriculture
  4. Lack of hygenic sense➜where cause plague , pandemic & epidemics



                                                       Major prehistoric sites of india


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SOLVE THESE QUESTIONS:


1. Which of the following tools were mainly used during the Paleolithic Age?

A) Polished stone tools
B) Copper axes
C) Hand axes and choppers 
D) Pottery wheels

2. The Mesolithic Age is also known as the age of:

A) Agriculture
B) Copper tools
C) Microliths 
D) Megaliths

3. Which tool type became smaller and lighter during the Mesolithic period?

A) Cleavers
B) Flint microliths 
C) Polished axes
D) Copper weapons

4. The first evidence of agriculture in India comes from which site?

A) Burzahom
B) Mehrgarh 
C) Chirand
D) Koldihwa

5. Which Neolithic site provides the earliest evidence of rice cultivation?

A) Mehrgarh
B) Burzahom
C) Koldihwa 
D) Piklihal

6. Pit dwellings have been found at which Neolithic site of Kashmir?

A) Burzahom 
B) Chirand
C) Bagor
D) Eran

7. Which of the following correctly describes the Chalcolithic Age?

A) Use of polished stone tools only
B) Beginning of iron tools
C) Use of stone and copper tools together 
D) Only pottery development

8. Which Chalcolithic culture is associated with the Khetri copper mines?

A) Malwa Culture
B) Jorwe Culture
C) Ahar–Gilund Culture 
D) Kayatha Culture

9. A spindle whorl was excavated from which Chalcolithic site?

A) Eran
B) Kayatha 
C) Daniabad
D) Sanghol

10. Which of the following was the main occupation during the Neolithic Age?

A) Hunting and fishing only
B) Trade and metallurgy
C) Agriculture and animal domestication 
D) Tool manufacturing


WRITE ANSWERS IN ABOUT 150  TO  250 WORDS EACH :


Q1.

Explain the technological and lifestyle changes from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic Age in India.

Hint for answer:
Hunter-gatherer societies → Microlith tools → Agriculture → Pottery → Permanent settlements → Community life

Q2.

Discuss the important features and cultural significance of the Chalcolithic Age in India.

Hint for answer:
Copper usage, regional cultures (Malwa, Jorwe, Ahar–Gilund), agriculture-pastoralism, spindle whorls, illness & epidemics, lack of script

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