History

Pre-historic India
1. Old stone age
Classification of age –
1. Old stone age or palaeolithic (Paleo – Ancient, Lithic – relating to stone) (2mn years ago-
12,000 years ago)–
 First human ancestors were found in Africa. However, the first species to migrate out
of Africa was homo erectus.
 Old stone age or palaeolithic is the earliest age in history.
 There was evidence of fire was found near Kurnool caves.
 It can be further divided in -
a. Lower palaeolithic culture –
 First tools were identified near Pallavaram in Chennai by Robert Bruce
Foote in 1863.
b. Middle palaeolithic culture
c. Upper palaeolithic culture
2. Mesolithic (Meso – Middle) (12,000 years ago – 10,000 years ago)
 Stone tools were found during this age known as microliths.
3. Neolithic (Neo - New) (10,000 years ago)– The age when animal and plant domestication
was developed leading to food production. [People began to first grow their crop near
Sulaiman and Kirthar hills located in Southern Pakistan. Also, rice was first grown in the
north of Vindhayas located in Madhya Pradesh at the banks of Narmada river.]

The area along the southern parts of Ganga is known as Magadha located in Bihar.
The word India comes from the word Indus called Sindhu in Sanskrit meaning a river named
by the Iranians and the Greeks. However, the word Bharat was used by the people living in
northwest.
The process of understanding what was inscribed and decoding their language is known as
decipherment.