CSAT 2011- Decision making 8

CSAT 2012- 7 DM

Walking 6/7th of his usual speed, a man is 12

minutes too late. What is the usual time taken by
him to cover that distance?
Ans : (1/5x6/7)/(1-6/7) = 6/7 x 1/5x7 = 6/5 = 1 hr
12 min

Ancient India Paleolithic Era

It was hunting and food gathering era.
Divided into 3 Phases
Early Palaeolithic Era 50000-100000 BC: during Ice Age
Middle Palaeolithic Era: 100000-40000 BC
Upper palaeolithic Era: 40000 10000 BC
Robert bruce foot was the first person to discover a
paleolithic site in India in 1863.
The Palaeolithic research in India got a boost only with
the coming of Yale Cambridge Expedition in 1935 led
by Deterra and Patterson.
The tools were usually made of hard rock 'quartzite'
and therefore Palaeolithic man in India is also called
"Quartzite Man"

Ancient India Paleolithic Era Contd.

Rock paintings and carvings have been numerously
founded in Bhimbetka from different periods. The
animals depicted in these paintings were mostly
bisons, elephants, tigers, rhinoceros, boars etc. and
were based on their hunting lives. The upper
Palaeolithic art is characterised by red and green
colors.
First Fossile
Male -Ramapithecus
Female - Shivapithecus
These fossils were found in Shivalik and Salt range
Homoerectus: Found in Hathnora (Lower Palaeolithic)
10 lakh B.C.
Homo sapiens : Found in Upper Palaeolithic Regions

Palaeolithic Tools
Palaeolithic Culture has been divided into three
phases on the basis of the nature of stone tools
made by human beings as well as due to the
changes in the climate and environment.
Lower Palaeolithic tools mainly handaxes,
cleavers, choppers and chopping tools.
Middle Palaeolithic industries -Blades &flakes
Upper Palaeolithic characterised by burins and
scrapers ,bone tools, needles, fishing tools,
harpoons etc.

Paleolithic Sites

Kashmir Valley:
The Kashmir Valley is surrounded by Pir Panjal Hills on the SouthWest and the Himalayas on the north-east. A hand axe was
discovered near Pahalgam in Kashmir on the River Lidder.
Palaeolithic tools are not found in large number in Kashmir because
Kashmir was intensely cold during the glacial times.
Potwar Regions (Pakistan):
The Potwar region (modern West Punjab & Pakistan) lies between
Pir Panjal and the Salt Range. This area was experiencing tectonic
movement and rivers Indus and Sohan originated in this process.
Sohan valley: The Sohan Valley yielded hand axes and choppers and
the important sites which have yielded such tools are Adial, Balwal
and Chauntra.
1.The banks of rivers Beas.
2.Rangange & Sirsa : Rangange and Sirsa have also yielded
Palaeolithic tools.

Rajasthan
1. Luni (Rajasthan): The Luni river (Rajasthan) complex has many
palaeolithic sites. The river Luni has its source in the Aravalis.
2.Chittorgarh (Gambhirs basin), Kota (Chambal basin), and
Negarai (Berach basin) have yielded Palaeolithic tools.
3.Mewar : The Wagaon and Kadamali rivers in Mewar are rich in
Middle Palaeolithic sites. A variety of scrapers. borers and
points have been discovered in this area.
Gujarat:
1. The rivers Sabarmati, Mahi and their tributaries (Gujarat) have
yielded many Palaeolithic artifacts. Sabarmati rises in the
Aravalis and flows into the Gulf of Cambay.
2. Middle Palaeolithic artifacts have been reported from
Bhandarpur near Orsang Valley. The river Bhader in
Saurashtra is rich in Palaeolithic assemblage and hand axes,
cleavers. Chopping tools, points, borers and scrapers have
been reported from its banks.

3.The Kutch area has produced many Palaeolithic tools like

cleavers, Hand axes and choppers.
4.The Narbada River rises in the Maikal range and flows into the
Gulf of Cambay. The Narbada terraces are rich in Palaeolithic
sites. Many handaxes and cleavers have been reported.
Madhya Pradesh:
1.Bhimbetka (near Bhopal) located in the Vindhyan range is a site
in which tools representing the Acheulian tradition were
replaced at a later stage by the Middle Palaeolithic Culture.
Godavari, Tapti & Krishna River Regions:
1.The rivers-Tapti, Godavari, Bhima and Krishna have yielded a
large number of Palaeolithic sites.
2.The distribution of Palaeolithic sites is linked up with ecological
variation like erosional feature, nature of soils, etc.
3.The Tapti trough has deep regur (black soil), and the rest of the
area is covered mostly by medium regur.

Maharastra:
1.From Chirki near Nevasa in Maharashtra Palaeolithic
tools like handaxes, chopper, cleavers, scrapers and
borers have been reported.
2.The ither important Palaeolithic sites are Koregaon,
Chandoli and Shikarpur in Maharashtra.
Eastern India :
1.River Raro (Singhbhum, Bihar) is rich in Palaeolithic
tools like handaxes, bifacial chopping tools and flakes.
2.From Singhbum many Palaeolithic sites have been
reported and the main artefacts are handaxes and
choppers.
3.Palaeolithic tools have also been reported from the
valleys of the Damodar and the Suvarnarekha.

1.The Baitarani, Brahmani and Mahanadi rivers form the deltaic region
of Orissa and some palaeolithic tools have been found in this area.
2.The Buharbalang Valley 'in Mayurbhang in Orissa has many Early and
Middle Palaeolithic tools like handaxes, scrapers, points, flakes, etc.
South India :
1.From Malprabha, Ghatprabha and the amuents of the Krishna a
number of Palaeolithic sites have been reported.
2.In Ghatprabha basin in Karnataka Acheulian handaxes have been
found in large numbers. Anagawadi and Bagalkot are two most
important sites on the Ghatprabha where both Early and Middle
Palaeolithic tools have been found.
3.The rivers Palar, Penniyar and Kaveri in Tamil Nadu are rich in
Palaeolithic tools.
4.Attirampakkam and Gudiyam (in Tamil Nadu) have yielded both Early
and Middle Palaeolithic artifacts like handaxes: flakes, blades,
scrapers, etc.

Mesolithic Age (10,000 - 4,000 BC)

It was the transitional phase between the Palaeolithic
Age and the Neolithic Age. There was rise in
temperature and the climate became warm and dry.
The climatic changes affected human life and brought
about changes in fauna and flora. The technology of
producing tools also underwent change and the small
stone tools were used. Man was predominantly in
hunting/gathering stage but there was shift in the in
partern of hunting from big game to small game
hunting and to fishing and fowling. These material and
ecological changes are also reflezted in rock paintings.

Mesolithic Tools
1.Tools of mesolithic age are microliths all made of stone.
2.The microliths were first discovered by Carlyle in 1867
from Vindhyan Rock Shelters.
3.This age is also known by various names like Late Stone
Age or Microlithic Age. The Mesolithic people lived on
hunting, fishing and food-gathering. Earliest
domestication of animals has alo been witnessed from
Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
4.Tools are characterised by parallel-sided blades taken
out from prepared cores of fine-materials as chert,
crystal, chalcedony, jasper, carnelian, agate etc. and
were generally one to five centimeters long.

Mesolithic Paintings
1.At various sites in Bhimbetka, Adamgarh, etc. rock and
cave paintings have been discovered.
2.In these paintings, various subjects including animals
and human scenes have been found.
3.Animals are the most frequently depicted subjects
either alone or in large and small groups and shown
in various poses.
4.Depiction of human figures in rock paintings is quite
common.
5.Dancing, running, hunting, playing games and
quarrelling were commonly depicted scenes.
6.Colours like deep red, green, white and yellow were
used in making these paintings.

List of Mesolithic Sites

Rajasthan :
The Pachpadra basin and the Sojat area (Rajasthan) are rich in
mimliths. The significant habitation site discovered is Tilwara.
Tilwara has two cultural phases, Phase-I is Mesolithic and is
characterized by the presence of microliths. In Phase-II wheel
made pottery and pieces of iron are found together with
microliths.
Bagor (Rajasthan) on the river Kothari is the largest Mesolithic
site in India and has been horizontally excavated. Bagor has
three cultural phases. On the basis; of radiocarbon dating
phase I or the earliest phase of culture has been placed
between 5000-2000 B.C.
Gujarat:
Akhaj, Valasana, Hirpur on the Sabarmati bank. Langhnaj is
the most researched mesolithic site.

Uttar Pradesh:
Allahabad pratapgarh area (Nahar Rai) , Morhana pahar
and Lekhania.
Madhya Pradesh:
Bhimbethka and Adamgarh (Hosangabad)
Jharkhand
Chhotanagpur Plateu
Orissa :
Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Sundergarh
Westbengal
Birbhanpur
Meghalaya
Sehalgiri in garo Hills
South India :
Krishna & Bhima rivers, Renigunta in Andhra Pradesh

Mains Writing

Explain describe
Elaborate, elucidate - detailed description
Criticize - highlight counters
Critically analyse - counter with own opinion
Enlist - mention like bullets - factual type
Comment - mention . give a broad overview
Substantiate - explain and include facts
Justify - add points to support the given question
Differentiate - tabulation type
Compare and analyse - differentiate and give an opinioj
In the light of above statement - keep the given statement
in mind and then
1 or 2 facts will be appreciated in every question.