Table of Contents
Introduction: Prehistoric Period
The Prehistoric Period in India refers to the vast period before the emergence of written records, encompassing several millennia of human history. This era witnesses the evolution and development of early human societies in the Indian subcontinent.
The Prehistoric Period in India can be broadly divided into three main phases:
Paleolithic Age (2.6 million years ago – 10,000 BCE)
Mesolithic Age (10,000 BCE – 6,000 BCE)
Neolithic Age (6,000 BCE – 2,000 BCE)
Our understanding of this era is largely based on archaeological evidence, ongoing research and discoveries continue to shed light on the complex dynamics of prehistoric societies in the Indian subcontinent.
Important Points: Prehistoric Period
- Pre-History: Events before the invention of writing are considered pre-history.
- Proto-history: The period when a civilization has not yet developed a writing system but was written about by other civilizations is often known as the protohistory. It is a period between prehistory and history.
- Three Age System: Historians divide the Prehistoric period into three parts –
- Stone Age,
- Bronze Age,
- Iron Age.
- C. J. Thomsen, a Danish antiquarian, developed the three-age system.
- Classification of Stone Age: The Stone Age is divided into three parts, i.e. Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic.
- John Lubbock: John Lubbock invented the terms “Palaeolithic” and “Neolithic” to denote the Old and New Stone Ages.
Prehistoric stone erections in the “Willong Khullen” village in northern Manipur.
Palaeolithic Age (2.6 million−10,000 BCE)
- Location of Sites: Paleolithic sites spread in all parts of India except the alluvial plains of the Indus and Ganga.
- Lifestyle of Paleolithic People:
- It is said the Paleolithic man belonged to the Negrito race and lived in caves and rock shelters.
- They were hunters and food-gathering people.
- They did not know about agriculture and pottery.
- Later in this age, they attained the knowledge of fire.
- Stone Tools: In this period, man used tools of unpolished rough stones. The stone tools were made of a hard rock called ‘quartzite’ which is why Paleolithic men are also called ‘Quartzite men’ in India.
Classification of Paleolithic Age: The Palaeolithic age is divided into three periods according to the type of stone tools used
- Lower Paleolithic Age (2.6 million – 1,00,000 BC)
- Middle Paleolithic (1,00,000 – 40,000 BC)
- Upper Paleolithic (40,000 – 10,000 BC)
Lower Paleolithic Age Sites
- Stone Tools: The tools used in this phase are hand axes, cleavers, and choppers mainly for chopping, digging, and skinning.
| Lower Paleolithic Age Sites | States |
|---|---|
| Attirampakkam | Tamil Nadu |
| Belan Valley | Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh |
| Bhimbhetka | Madhya Pradesh |
| Didwana, Bagor | Rajasthan |
| Narmada Valley | Madhya Pradesh |
| Ketavaram Caves | Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh |
| Sohan Valley | Punjab (Pakistan) |
Middle Paleolithic Age Sites
- Stone Tools: The tools are made of flakes, mainly scrapers, borers, points, and bladelike tools.
| Middle Paleolithic Age Sites | States |
|---|---|
| Bankura, Purulia | West Bengal |
| Nevasa | Maharashtra |
| Ghatprabha Basin, Malprabha Basin | Karnataka |
| Potwar plateau (between Indus and Jhelum) | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Narmada Valley | Madhya Pradesh |
Upper Paleolithic Age Sites
- Homo Sapiens: Homo sapiens first appeared at the end of this phase.
| Upper Paleolithic Age Sites | States |
|---|---|
| Kurnool Caves | Andhra Pradesh |
| Belan Valley | Madhya Pradesh and UP |
| Nevasa | Maharashtra |
| Pahalgam | Kashmir |
| Hathnora (Narmada Valley), Bhimbetka, Adamgarh hills | Madhya Pradesh |
| Attirampakkam | Tamil Nadu |
Mesolithic Age (10000 – 6000 BC)
- Characteristics of the Mesolithic Age:
- The characteristic of this age was the use of microliths and small and sharp stone tools to hunt animals. Microlith is usually made of flint or chert.
- The microliths were used in spearheads and arrowheads.
- Knowledge of Cultivation: Towards the end of the Mesolithic period, man learned about cultivation.
- Lifestyle of Paleolithic People:
- People in this age change their living places depending on the season and availability of food.
- They often stayed in natural caves or rock shelters to protect themselves from bad weather and wild animals.
Mesolithic Age Sites
| Mesolithic Age Sites | States |
|---|---|
| Langhnaj | Gujarat |
| Tilwara, Bagor | Rajasthan |
| Birbhanpur | West Bengal |
| Patne, Hatkhamba | Maharashtra |
| Chopani Mando, Kaimur region of Mirzapur district | Uttar Pradesh |
| Pachmarhi, Bhimbetka, Adamgarh | Madhya Pradesh |
| Sanganakallu | Karnataka |
| Gauri Gundam | Andhra Pradesh |
Neolithic Age (6000 -1800 BC)
- The term Neolithic Age refers to the “New Stone Age“.
- Neolithic Revolution:
- It is also termed the ‘Neolithic Revolution’ since it witnessed the wide-scale transition from a lifestyle of hunting and gathering to one of agriculture and settlement.
- The term ‘Neolithic Revolution’ was coined by V. Gordon Childe (Australian archaeologist) in his 1936 book Man Makes Himself.
- First Neolithic Tools: H.P. Le Mesurier was the first to discover neolithic tools in India in 1860. He found stone tools in the Tons River valley in Uttarakhand.
- The Neolithic people lived mainly in the hilly river valleys, rock shelters, and the slopes of the hills since they were entirely dependent on weapons and tools made of stone.
- Agriculture:
- The Neolithic age saw a man turning into a food producer from a food gatherer.
- This period saw the cultivation of various crops such as wheat, barley, rice, millets, lentils, and cotton.
- Neolithic communities transitioned from a nomadic or semi-nomadic lifestyle to settled agricultural settlements.
Neolithic Age Sites
| Neolithic Age Sites | States |
|---|---|
| Koldihwa | Belan Valley, UP |
| Mehrgarh | Balochistan, Pakistan |
| Brahmagiri, Maski, Hallur | Karnataka |
| Gufkral | Kashmir Valley |
| Burzahom | Kashmir |
| Garo Hills | Meghalaya |
| Utnur | Andhra Pradesh |
| Piklihal | Karnataka |
Chalcolithic Period (3000 – 500 BCE)
- Definition: The Chalcolithic period is characterized by the utilization of metal and stone to manufacture weapons and other equipment.
- Settlements: Chalcolithic settlements were typically located near river valleys or fertile plains.
- Earlier scholars considered the “Chalcolithic Period” as a transitional period between the Neolithic and the Bronze Age but Modern researchers consider the period as a part of the Neolithic Age.
- Bhirrana: In Bhirrana, the earliest Indus civilization site, copper bangles, and arrowheads were found.
Chalcolithic cultures in India
- Chalcolithic cultures in India: Notable Chalcolithic cultures in India include the Indus Valley civilization, the Ahar-Banas culture, the Malwa culture, and the Jorwe culture, among others.
- Ahar-Banas Culture (3000 to 1500 BCE):
- The Ahar-Banas culture is associated with several Chalcolithic sites in Rajasthan, including Ahar, Gilund, Balathal, etc.
- The sites are located on the river valleys of Banas and Ahar Rivers in southeastern Rajasthan.
- Malwa Culture (1600 – c. 1300 BCE):
- The Malwa Culture is named after the region where its remains were first discovered.
- Notable Sites are Daimabad, Inamgaon, Kayatha, Nagda, Maheshwar, Eran, Navdatoli etc.
- Jorwe Culture (1400-1000 BCE):
- It flourished in the Maharashtra region of western India BCE.
- It is named after the village of Jorwe in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, where the first evidence of this culture was discovered.
- Jorwe is located on the bank of the Pravara River, a tributary of the Godavari River.
Type Site: In archaeology, a “type site” is the site used to define a particular archaeological culture, which is often named after it. Example: Harappa (Harappan civilization).