# PALAEOLITHIC INDIA

- earliest period of the Stone Age.

in the Pleistocene period or the Ice Age.

- Spread all over India except plains of the Ganga & Indus River.
- uses Quartz stone for tools called Quartzite men.

- Culture:
(1) Chopper-Chopping culture
- first found at Sohan River Valley (PAK)

(2) Hand axe culture

- first found at Madurai and Attirampakkam (Chennai)

> Lower Palaeolithic Age:

- 5,00,000 BC to 50,000 BC.

- Species = Homo Erectus.

- use fire to roast the meat, live in caves and on trees.

- Tools:
Chopper Chopping Culture= Choppers, Hand Axes and cleavers.

- Sites:
• Attirampakkam (Chennai) where early Acheulean tools (Madras industry)

hand axe was found by Robert Bruce in 1963.

 • Sohan valley river (Punjab Pakistan)

• Kashmir valley

• Didwana (Rajasthan)
• Hiran valley (Gujarat)

• Rock Shelter of Bhimbetka (MP)

• Belan Valley (Mirzapur,UP)
• Nevasa (Ahmednagar, MAH)

• Narmada skull of Homo eructus) at Hathnoora.

• Quartzite Hand axe (Narmada valley).

> Middle Palaeolithic Age

- 50,000 BC to 40,000 BC Last phase of Pleistocene.

- Homo Erectus evolved, Language was invented.

- Species = Neanderthal,Homo Erectus.

- Tools:

- Flake culture= Blades, Pointers, Scrapers and Borers.

- Sites:
• Godavari valley such as Suregaon and Nevasa (MAH).

• Soan, Narmada, Tungabhadra River valley.

• Potwar plateau (between Indus and Jhelum)
• Sanghao Caves (PAK)
> Upper Palaeolithic Age

- 40,000 BC to 10,000 BC, the Last phase of the ice age so a warm climate.

- Homo Sapiens first appeared and all other hominin species were eliminated.

- Tools:
• Flake Blade culture: Parallel side blades, Burins, bones tools like harpoon.

- Sites:

• bones tools found at the cave sites of Kurnool and Muchchatla

Chintamani Gavi (Andra Pradesh).

• Decorated Ostrich eggshell and stone beads from Andra Pradesh

& Patne (MAH).

# MESOLITHIC INDIA

- 9000 BC to 4000 BC

- middle period of Stone Age, Holocene Era.

- John Evan discovered many Mesolithic Materials.

- The first Rock paintings were discovered at Sohagighat in Kaimur Hills (UP).
- till now 150 rock art found in central India of Animals.

but no Snakes are Depicted in any painting.

- First human colonisation of Ganga plains during this period.

- Tools:

- Microliths (which are used to make composite tools).

main material was Quartz and Cherts.

- Sites:
• Bagor (RAJ) as microlith Industry.
• Adamgarh (MP) = early evidence of Domestication of Animals.

• Sambhar lake (RAJ) = early evidence of plants cultivation.

• Sarai Nahar Rai (UP) = Burials of skeleton.

• Mahadaha (UP) = Burials of men and women together.

- Burials of Skeleton with ornaments of bones,

which indicate existence of religion and

superstition.

• hand made pottery =Langraj (GUJ) and Chopanimando (UP).

• Rhinos bones for Blades = Langraj (GUJ).

- other sites = Teri (TN), Birbhanpur (WB).

# NEOLITHIC INDIA

- 7000 BC to 1000 BC, New Stone Age, Holocene Era.

- Dr. Primrose discovered many Neolithic Materials.

- [Link] Childe termed Neolithic phase as Neolithic Revolution.

- beginning of Agriculture and animal Domestication.

- people started living in the house made up of mud.

- started using Polished Stone tools instead of Quartz tools.

- started using celts for polished hand axes.

- needles, scraper, borers, arrowhead, ornaments, made of bones

were also founded in many sites.

- first pottery made by hands and then by wheel, like Black burnished ware,

grey ware and matte ware during this phase.

- Sites:

• Burzahom (J&K) = rectangular chopper.

dog buried with their master.

• Gufkraal (J&K) = Pit Dwelling (house), Graveyard in house.

• Maski, Brahmagiri, Kodekal, Hallur, Piklihal, Tekkalakota, and

Sanganakallu. of Karnataka = proof of cattle herding.
• Budihal (KAR) = proof of community food preparation and feasting.

• Chirand (BIHAR) = Bone tools made up of Antlers.

• Chopani mando and Belan valley = evidence of use of pottery.

• Mehrgarh = BreadBasket of Baluchistan.

= earliest Neolithic site.

= house made up of sun dried bricks.

= cultivation of crops like wheat,barley and cotton.

= earliest dentistry.

• Koldhiwa and Mahagara (UP) = Oldest rice cultivation in the world.

- Koldhiwa (Belan valley,UP) = 3 fold sequence of Neolithic, Chalcolithic and

Iron Age.

- other sites:

• Paiyampalli (TN)
• Utnar, Nagarjunakonda, Budihal (Andra)
• Garo hills (Mega)

• Daojali Hading (ASSAM)

# CHALCOLITHIC INDIA

- aka, Copper Stone Age around 3000 BC to 500 BC.

- Pre Harappan culture is considered part of Chalcolithic age.

- Chalcolithic cultures had grown in river valleys.

- Dependent on Agriculture and Cattle rearing.

slash burn or Jhum cultivation.

neither the plough nor the Hoe has been found.

- domesticated cattle for the meat not for the dairy.

they did not acquainted the Horse.

- houses made up of mud not with the burnt bricks.

chief house is rectangular, others houses in circular in shape.

- high infant mortality, large number of burial were found in

western Maharashtra.

- deads were buried in north-south direction in Maharashtra.

whereas, east-west direction in southern India.
> Chalcolithic Cultures

- Ahar culture = black and red ware, Ahar and Gilund Sites.

- Kayatha culture = red slipped ware with chocolate design.

near Chambal and its tributaries.

- Malwa culture = largest Chalcolithic settlement on Narmada valley.

- Jorwe Culture = inamgaon and Chandoli near Pune.

> Important sites of Chalcolithic age.

• Ahar (banas valley) = people practice smelting and metallurgy

and they live in stone built houses.

• Gilund (banas valley) = seldom use of brunt bricks

• Navdatoli = cultivate all types of food grains

• Daimabad = largest jorwe culture site in Godavari valley.

famous for bronze goods like bronze rhino, elephant,

buffalo and 2 wheel chariot with rider.

• Songaon,Inamgaon & Nasik = large mud house with ovens

• Kayatha (MP) = mud plaster floors

• Malwa (MP) = Richest chalcolithic ceramics Spindle whorls