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 Lower Palaeolithic

Palaeolithic
Middle Palaeolithic
(Old Stone Age)

Upper Palaeolithic

Mesolithic
Pre-History Stone Age

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(Middle Stone Age)

Neolithic
(New Stone Age)

Classification Harappan Civilisation Chalcolithic

Proto-History
Vedic Age Chalcolithic + Iron Age

History Mahajanapad Era onwards Iron Age

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 • Vedas, Epics – Mahabharat, Ramayana, Puarans, Dharmshastras
Literary • Buddhist and Jain Literature
Sources • Sangam Texts, Kannada and Telugu Literature
• Ancient poetry, dramas, biographies

• Integral to understand pre history and proto history

Archaeological

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• Various schools and styles
sources • Interpretation of Archaeological sources

• Study of inscriptions
Epigraphy • Deciphering the text of inscriptions •Includes elements of linguistic analysis

Numismatics • Study of coins

Poulation • Part of evolutionary biology

Genetics • Studies genetic differences within and between populations
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Stone Age is classified into three phases :
1. Old Stone Age or Palaeolithic Age:
(5,00,000−10,000 BCE)

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Ice age

2. Late Stone Age or Mesolithic Age:

(10,000−6000 BCE)
Moderate climate

3. New Stone Age or Neolithic Age:

(6,000−1000 BCE)

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 STONE AGE
The Palaeolithic tools found
in Chotanagpur plateau were as old as 100000
years

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in Kurnool district (Andhra Pradesh) were of
25,000 to 10,000 B.C
Animal remains and Bone implements found in the
Mirzapur district show sheep, Cattle and goats
domesticated around 25,000 B.C.
The modern human (Homo Sapiens) first appeared
during Upper Palaeolithic period.
In India, palaeolithic sites are found in all parts except
Alluvial plains of Indus and Ganga.
 OLD STONE AGE
Some of the famous sites of the Old Stone Age in India are:
The Soan Valley and Potwar Plateau in northwest India.
The Shiwalik hills in north India.

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Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh.
Adamgarh hills in Narmada Valley.
Kurnool & Nagarjunakonda in Andhra Pradesh.
Attirampakkam near Chennai.

• Chopani-Mando in Belan Valley Sequence of occupation from all the three stages from
• Middle part of Narmada Valley Paleolithic to Neolithic have been found

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 Early or Lower
Middle Palaeolithic Upper Palaeolithic
Palaeolithic

• Climate was less humid and

is regarded as last phase of

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• Greater part of Ice Age • Tools: Scrapers, borers,
Ice Age.
• Tools: choppers, hand- blades, points made from
• Tools: Blades & Burins
axes, cleavers flakes
• Found at Kurnool (AP),
• Found at Soan Valley in • Found at Nevasa (MH),
Meralbhavi (Karnataka), MH,
Punjab,Pak and Belan site Didwana & budha Pushkar
Bhopal and Chotanagpur
of Mirzapur, U.P. (RJ), Narmada, Godavri,
plateau.
• Stone tools during this Krishna Valley
• Caves and Rock Shelters at
period mostly used for • Age of Neanderthal Man
Bhimbetka
chopping
• Appearance of Homo
Sepians
LOWER PALAEOLITHIC AGE

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MIDDLE PALAEOLITHIC AGE

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UPPER PALAEOLITHIC AGE

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 LEVALLOIS TECHNIQUE
PYQ on this:

an advanced way of making flake tools

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named after a place called Levallois
Perret near Paris

Another Technique
discoid core technique
The Levallois technique can be used to
produce only one flake at a time, while
the discoid core technique can produce
several flakes
 LEVALLOIS TECHNIQUE

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 MIDDLE STONE AGE OR MESOLITHIC AGE
In India it lasted between 8000 B.C to 4000 B.C
Tools: Microliths
Found in Central India, Chotanagpur plateau

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and South of Krishna River
The climate became warm & wet with heavy
rainfall in summer
The Bhimbetka Painting shows the division of
labour based on Gender
Last phase of this age saw beginning of Plant
cultivation and coincided with Neolithic Age.
Bagor (RJ) on river Kothari gives earliest
evidence for the domestication of animals.
 MESOLITHIC AGE
Features of Important sites of the Mesolithic age:
Bagor Rajasthan on Kothari – largest & best document sites.
Chotanagpur Region, Central India.

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South of River Krishna, Tinnevelly in Tamil Nadu.
Birbhanpur in West Bengal
Sarai Nahar Rai, near Allahabad.
Mahadaha in Uttar Pradesh, where bone artifacts were found, including
arrowheads & bone ornaments.

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 IMPORTANT ROCK ART SITES

Madhya Pradesh:
Bhimbetka Caves, Kharwar, Jaora, &

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Kathotia;

Orissa:
Sundargarh and Sambalpur;

Kerala:
Ezhuthu Guha (gave the idea of religious
practices & reflect the division of labour Bhimbetka Cave Painting
on basis of gender.)
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 IMPORTANT CHALCOLITHIC SITES
Ahar (smelting and metallurgy, stone houses) and Gilund (use of burnt bricks)
in Banas Valley, Rajasthan.
Chirand, Senuar, Sonpur in Bihar.

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Mahishadal in West Bengal.
Kayatha (mud-plastered floors, pre-Harappan elements in pottery), Malwa
(richest Chalcolithic ceramics, spindle whorls, non-Harappan culture).
Nevasa, Jorwe (non-Harappan), Navdatoli (cultivated all food grains),
Daimabad (largest Jorwe culture site in Godavari valley, famous for recovery
of bronze goods).

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 NEW STONE AGE
1. In the world context it started at 7000 B.C but in India, evidence was found from
6000 B.C. In some parts of South and East India, they are as late as 1000 B.C.
2. Characteristics

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Tools: Polished stones & Quartzite
Settlement locations based on the type of axes:
i. North-Western: Rectangular axes with curved cutting edge
ii. North-Eastern: polished stone axes with rectangular butt
iii. South: axes with oval sides and pointed butt
3. Food Production: Ragi and horse Gram
4. Domesticated Cattle, sheep, goat

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 NEW STONE AGE
1. Burzahom, Valley of Kashmir :
Lived on a Plateau in pits
Hunting and fishing.

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Less known about agriculture or the
domestication of animals.
Polished stone tools and Bone tools
Used Coarse grey Pottery
Burial pits of Domestic Dogs with their
masters only found in this place of
entire Neolithic period in India Burzahom
UNESCO’s World Heritage Site
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2. South of Godavari River:
Usually on top of Granite Hills.
Fire-baked earthen figurines suggest they kept large numbers of

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cattle, goats, and sheep.
They knew about producing grains.

3. Hill areas of Assam:

Also in Garo Hills in Meghalaya
4. Pikhlihal in Andhra: Known for setting fire with
Cow Dung
Later Neolithic people lived in Circular or
Rectangular houses made of mud and reed.
Primitive people lived in Circular houses and
owned common property.

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To cook cereals they produced Handmade
Pottery at the beginning which later
developed with foot wheels
Rice cultivation in Orissa Hills indicates
Neolithic settlements began a little early
here.
Neolithic period site at Piklihal
Since people of the Stone Age mostly depended
on Stone tools they had to settle at hilly river
valleys
 NEW STONE AGE

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 CHALCOLITHIC AGE / COPPER / BRONZE AGE
The following Chalcolithic sites are shown region-wise:
1. Indus System
a; Mohenjo-daro b; Harappa c; Ropar d; Suratgarh e; Hanumangarh f; Chanhu-daro g;
Jhukar h; Amri i; Jhangar
2. Ganges System
a; Kausambi b; Alamgirpur
3. Rajputana- Saurashta
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a; Rangpur b; Ahar c; Prashas Patan d; Lakhabawal e; Lothal f; Pithadia g; Rojdi h; Adkot
4. Godavari-Pravara System
a; Jorwe b; Nasik c; Kopargaon d; Nevasa e; Daimabad
5. Bhima System
a; Koregaon b; Chandoli c; Umbraj d; Chanegaon e; Anachi f; Hingni g; Nagarhalli
Towards the end of the Neolithic period, human beings started using Metal.
first metal to be used was Copper.

Cultures that used both Stone and Copper are known as Chalcolithic.

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Earlier settlements of this period were:
1. South Eastern Rajasthan: Ahar and Gilund Sites
2. Western Madhya Pradesh: Malwa, Kayatha, and Eran sites.
3. Western Maharastra: Jorwe, Nevasa, and Inamgaon are in Semi-arid regions.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF CHALCOLITHIC CULTURES

Tools
Microliths: Stone Blade in major and also axes
Copper implements at Gilund and Ahar regions of

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Rajasthan. In Ahar region stone axes and blades were
completely absent.

Microliths
Pottery
Black and Red Pottery: On the wheel and occasionally with
white lines
Channel-spouted pots, dishes-on-sand, bowls-on-sand.
Pots were used for cooking, storing, and eating.
Food
Animal Domestication
Goats, sheep, cows, buffaloes, pigs, and hunted deer. Remains of Horses or
donkeys were found but not having evidence of domestication and the
same for Camel as well.

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People ate beef but not pork on a considerable scale
Food Grains
Rice, Wheat, Bajra. Pulses like lentils (Masur), Black gram, green gram, and
grass pea were produced. Almost all of these found at Navdatoli on the
banks of Narmada (MH)
At Deccan – Ragi, bajra, Cotton
Eastern India – Fish, rice
West – Mostly Barley and Rice
Settlements
Most houses are made of mud bricks.
Later phase (1000-700 B.C.) houses with 5 rooms suggest large families. This
culture is known as Jorwe because of the location of Jorwe village on the

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Pravara river
Jorwe culture with 30-35 houses which tells the economy was settled, the
Village economy
Some settlements were fortified but not Urban civilisation.

Art and Crafts

Not much information. But known evidence of the art of Spinning and
Weaving Clothes – Cotton, flax, and Silk.
Didn’t know the Art of writing.
Religion & Belief
Burial Practices
North–South direction in Maharashtra region.
East-west in South
Social Inequality – Some kinds buried with copper necklaces. As many children

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burials found, there may be the possibility of a high Infant mortality rate.
Burials within the house like in Harappa where also no separate cemeteries
were found.
Terracotta figures of Mother Goddess at Inamgaon indicate religion began
during this period.
Also, Stylised terracotta Bulls found at Malwa and Rajasthan. Some says hindu
religion may have started in Copper Age.
Some common points about the Chalcolithic period:
Except for alluvial plains and thickly forested areas, Chalcolithic cultures were
found all over the country and Black-red-pottery found in some areas till 2nd
Century B.C

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They were the first to be used Painted pottery.
First to establish villages in India.

With the end of the Neolithic Age, several cultures started using metal,
mostly copper and low grade bronze.
The culture based on the use of copper and stone was termed as
Chalcolithic meaning stone-copper Phase.
The term Chalcolithic means “copper” and “stone” or Copper Age; it is
also known as the Eneolithic or Aeneolithic
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Kayatha Culture

gets its name from the site of Kayatha in Ujjain district, on the banks of
the Chhoti Kali Sindh.
Three types of pottery have been found at Kayatha culture sites

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No complete house plans were uncovered; houses were apparently
made of mud and reed with mud-plastered floors
The bones of domesticated cattle and horses were found, and the
people seem to have eaten tortoises
No grain remains were identified
There was an abrupt break in occupation at Kayatha in about 1800 BCE,
and the site remained deserted for about a century. When reoccupied,
it represented an Ahar/Banas culture phase.
Ahar-Banas Culture

The Ahar culture –also known as the

Banas culture,
is located on the banks of the Ahar

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River of southeastern Rajasthan state
in India
it is among the earliest Chalcolithic
cultures of India.

Clay seal from Ahar with

visible tool marks
Malwa Culture

Malwa culture followed the Ahar culture

Navdatoli (west Nimar district), on the
southern banks of the Narmada, is the largest

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settlement of this culture
2000–1750 BCE: Radiocarbon dating
Important Sites: Maheshwar (Nimar district),
Nagda (Ujjain district), and Eran (Sagar
district)
The cultural sequence at the recently
excavated site of Chichali (Khargaon district,
MP) consists of Ahar, Malwa, Jorwe, and early
historical levels Ceramic goblet from
Navdatoli, Malwa, 1300 BCE
Jorwe Culture

Jorwe is named after the after the type site of Jorwe in Ahmadnagar
district, Gujarat.
This culture belongs to the Chalcolithic period.

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distinguished by its black-on-red painted pottery and copper
metallurgy.
Jorwe Culture of Deccan
first discovered at the site of Jorwe
Covering practically the whole of modern Maharashtra, except the
coastal Konkan district.
Nuclear Zone: Pravara–Godavari valleys
Prakash is the largest Jorwe site in the Tapi Valley, Daimabad in the
Godavari Valley, and Inamgaon in the Bhima Valley
Large sites represented permanent agricultural villages
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