Neolithic Age | Origin, Significance & Major Inventions

The Neolithic Age started in India around 7,000 B.C. This was the third and last part of the Stone Age. The development of settled agriculture and tools and polished stone weapons were the Neolithic Age’s main characteristics. The other two parts of the Stone Age were the Paleolithic Age (500,000 B.C. to 10,000 B.C.) and the Mesolithic Age (9,000 B.C. to 4,000 B.C.).

Let us dive into a better understanding of the Neolithic Age and its’ characteristics.

Neolithic Definition

Since lithos in Greek means “stone”, while neo in Greek means “new” or “late”, the Neolithic age means the new or the latest period of the Stone Age.

Origin of the Neolithic Age

The Neolithic Age spanned from around 7,000 B.C. to 1,000 B.C. in the Indian context but started in 9,000 B.C. in the world context. The neolithic sites discovered on the northern spurs of the Vindhyas are not older than 5,000 B.C. whereas the Neolithic settlements in South India are generally considered to be around 2,500 B.C. Some Neolithic sites found in parts of Eastern India and South India are only 1,000 B.C. old.

Significance of the Neolithic Age

• The Neolithic Age was preceded by the Mesolithic Age (9,000 B.C. to 4,000 B.C.) and succeeded by the Chalcolithic Age (c.2100 to 700 B.C.)
• Domestication of animals, stone weaponry and tools, Megalithic architecture, and pottery are a few notable characteristics of this age.
• Mehrgarh located in Baluchistan, a province in Pakistan was the oldest settlement in the Indian subcontinent.

Neolithic Humans

The Neolithic humans were those who started cultivating crops instead of hunting and gathering. They had a more settled lifestyle than the humans of the previous ages. They started pottery and used microlithic blades in addition to tools made of polished stones. The use of metal was unknown.

The inhabitants of the archaeological site of Çatalhöyük in southern Turkey valued art and spirituality. They buried their dead under the floors of their houses. The walls of their homes were covered with murals of men hunting, cattle, and female goddesses.

Major Developments of the Neolithic Age

The change of man from a food gatherer to a food producer is the primary feature of the Neolithic Age. The following were the developments that describe this era:

• Agriculture: Domestication of animals and cultivation of crops was seen during this period.
• Pottery: Pottery first appeared in the Neolithic Age. This happened due to the requirement of instruments to store food grains, cook food, arrange drinking water, and eat the finished food as well. The pottery of this age was classified under grey ware, black-burnished ware, and mat-impressed ware.
• Tools: Tools made of polished stones and microlithic blades were used by people.
• Weapons: Axes were the primary weapons.
• Housing: The people lived in rectangular and circular houses made of mud and reed. Mehrgarh had mud-brick houses while pit-dwelling is reported from Burzahom, the Neolithic site found in Kashmir.
• Architecture: Megalithic Architecture was prominent during this age.
• Technology: Pottery shifted from hand-made to the usage of the foot-wheels.
• Community Life: The Neolithic people had a settled life. They had common rights over the property.

Agricultural Inventions in the Neolithic Age

The people of the Neolithic Age cultivated ragi, horse gram, cotton, rice, wheat, and barley and hence were termed as food producers. They domesticated cattle, sheep, and goats. People stopped wandering to tend their fields and moved to permanent villages. These villages were where they began developing new tools and started pottery. Pottery came into existence as a result of agriculture which required storage and cooking instruments.

Neolithic Age Tools

Microlithic blades and tools made of stone were majorly used by the Neolithic people. Stone hoes and digging sticks were used for digging the ground. These digging stones had ring stones of 1-1/2 kg of weight fixed at their ends. Tools and weapons made of bone were also used. These were found in Burzahom (Kashmir) and Chirand (Bihar).

Weapons were still used in the Neolithic Age. The axe was the main weapon. The Rectangular axes with curved cutting edges were used in the North-western part of the Neolithic settlement, while axes with oval sides and pointed butts were used in the Southern part. Polished stone axes with rectangular butt and shouldered hoes were used in the north-eastern part.

The Neolithic Geography

The Neolithic people stayed close to the hilly areas. They inhabited the hilly river valleys, rock shelters, and hill slopes since stones were their sources of weapons and tools. The Vindhyas, Kashmir, South India, Eastern India, Meghalaya, and Mirzapur and Allahabad districts of Uttar Pradesh.

Tabular description of the Neolithic sites

Name of Site	Location	Period	Characteristics
Mehrgarh	Baluchistan	7,000 B.C.	Produced cotton and wheat and lived in mud-brick houses.
Burzahom	Kashmir	2,700 B.C.	People lived on a lakeside in pits. Domestic dogs were buried along with their masters in their graves. Tools and weapons were made of polished stone as well as bone.
Gufkral	Kashmir	2,000 B.C	Practiced both agriculture and domestication of animals. Used tools and weapons made of polished stone as well as bone.
Chirand	Bihar	2,000 B.C.	They used tools and weapons made of bone.
Pikilihal, Brahmagiri, Maski, Hallur, Takkalakota, T. Narsipur, Kodekal, Sanganakallu	Karnatakka	2,000 B.C. to 1,000 B.C.	The people in Piklihal were cattle herders. They domesticated sheep, goats, and cattle. Ash mounds have been found.
Paiyampalli	Tamil Nadu	2,000-1,000 B.C.	They cultivated cereals and pulses. Weapons and tools such as sickles, spears, chisels, nails, and axes were used.
Utnur	Andhra Pradesh	2,000-1,000 B.C.	Domestication of animals and usage of weapons and tools made of stones.

Conclusion on Neolithic Age

A considerable amount of progress had been observed during the Neolithic Age in terms of technology. The food-gathering man had now become the food producer. From moving around from place to place for food and shelter the Neolithic man started producing their own food and developed tools for the same. They settled close to hilly areas and formed villages and communities. Many new practices were seen including cultivation of crops, domestication of animals, building houses, pottery, and stone weaponry. This all paved the way for the beginning of civilization.

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FAQs on Neolithic Age

What was the period of the Neolithic Age in India?

The Neolithic Age spanned around 7,000 B.C. to 1,000 B.C.

What was the oldest Neolithic settlement on the Indian Subcontinent?

The oldest Neolithic settlement in the Indian Subcontinent was Mehrgarh which is located in Baluchistan, a province of Pakistan.

Name the major Neolithic sites of Asia.

Jarf el Ahmar and Tell Abu Hureyra (both of Syria) were the major Neolithic sites in Asia.

What were the tools used by the Neolithic humans?

The Neolithic man used microlithic blades and tools made of stones.

Name the crops cultivated by Neolithic humans.

The Neolithic humans cultivated ragi, horse gram, cotton, rice, wheat, and barley.