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Prehistoric Age Of India (Part-I)

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There are three components to history (Pre-History, Proto-history, and History). Prehistory refers to events that occurred before the introduction of writing. Three stone ages are represented: Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic Stone Ages. People relied on stones during the Stone Age. People used to battle with natural disasters throughout this time, and they survived by hunting and eating fruits and dates. Between prehistory and history, proto-history is the period when civilization did not create writing yet is mentioned in contemporary literate civilisation records. Mesopotamian writings, for example, reference Sandhav civilization, Harappan civilisation, and Vedic civilisation. The study of the past following the creation of writing is known as the historic period (History).

Classification of History in 3 Parts:

Parts Classification
Prehistory Stone age 
Proto-History Sandhav Culture, Harappan civilisation, Vedic civilisation
Historic period   BC before the 6th century

On the basis of types of equipment the stone age is divided into 2 classes:

Tools of the stone age-

1. Chopper-chopping or Pebble culture

2. Acheulian culture (hand axe and cleaver)

Soanian Culture was named after the valley where it was originally discovered. Hand Axe culture is the same as Acheulian culture. Because the hand axe was discovered in Madras, it is also known as Madras culture. This civilization also has a cleaver, scraper, and core. Geologist Robert Bruce Foote was the father of prehistory in India. He unearthed the first Stone Age tool made of Quartzite stone at Pallavaram, Madras. Apart from tools, the Lohanda Nala region of Belan valley provided a statue of a bone-made Mother Goddess. Due to the presence of Plaques, the middle Palaeolithic period is also known as Falak culture.

1. The Paleolithic epoch: It concluded with the Pleistocene Epoch, which was characterised by an ice period that saw ice melt and significant areas of land become available for cultivation.

2. Holocene Epoch: Sediments collected on the seafloor, lake bottoms, glacial ice, and calcite layers in stalactites and stalagmites represent this epoch.

3. Anthropocene Epoch (starting in the 19th century after the Industrial Revolution): During this time, Human causes dominate. Thus, Indian Stone Age is divided into three categories based on geological age, stone tool type and technique, and subsistence base:

1. Old stone Age: Palaeolithic Age (5,00,000−10,000 BCE).
2. Late Stone Age: Mesolithic Age (10,000−6000 BCE).
3. New Stone Age: Neolithic Age (6,000−1000 BCE).

Palaeolithic age:

The people of this age are hunters and food gatherers. It is the Old Stone Age developed in the Pleistocene period or Ice Age [2.5 ml to 11,700 y/a] i.e. period before 10000 BC. Except for the Indus and Ganga plains, they spread throughout India. India’s Paleolithic men are of the Negrito race. These people have no experience with agriculture, house construction, pottery, or metal. The fire was detected later—traces of ash were uncovered in the Kurnool Caves (Paleolithic Site). Fire could be used to provide light, roast meat, or scare animals away. People of this era employ hand axes, cleavers, and choppers made of unpolished, untreated raw stones. In India, stone tools made of ‘quartzite’ were known as ‘Quartzite men.’

                                                Soan valley and Potwar Plateau in North-West India; Shivalik in North India; Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh; and Adamgarh hill in Narmada, Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh and Attirampakkam near Chennai valley were some of the famous sites of this era.

3 Phases of Palaeolithic Age:

1. Early/Lower Palaeolithic: 5lakh−50k BC-

People who gather food were only aware of uncontrolled fire (forest fire). Men begin to construct deliberate tools such as a hand axe, chopper, and cleaver for chopping, digging, and skinning during this time. This period began 1.5 million years ago in India, but the first man appeared in Hathnora, in the Narmada valley, and was known as Narmada man. 

Acheulean tools, a sort of triangle hammer, were most common in India. The tools were made of chert, quartz, Ajit, and Chalcedony(shiny stones).
A significant factory site, Madras Industry was also found in Attiram Pakkam. This period had no idea of painting. 

                     Soan and Sohan river valleys in Pakistan, Kashmir; Thar Desert [Didwana], Hiran valley in Gujarat; Bhimbetka, Belan valley Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh are also important sites from this period.

2. Middle Palaeolithic: 50,000-40,000 BC-

In this era, tools became more sophisticated and smaller, and the man began to manage fire. People began to use stone tools made of flakes (blade-like implements) and established a stable lifestyle. Bhimbetka (line drawings) is an example of an artwork that appeared during this time. Soan, Narmada, Tungabhadra, Potwar between Indus and Jhelum, and Sanghao Cave in Pakistan are important sites from this period. The Nevasan industry is called after the Maharashtra town of Nevasa.

3. Later/Upper Palaeolithic: 40000-10000 BC-

Precision hunting and gathering became popular, and eating became a habit.
People rely on agricultural products but have not started to begin farming. They were familiar with edible plants. We don’t uncover signs of pottery or a wheel since people didn’t manufacture food at this time. Only at the cave sites of Kurnool and Muchchatla Chintamani Gavi in Andhra Pradesh have bone implements been discovered. In this age, evidence may be found in Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Southern UP, and the Chotanagpur Plateau. During this epoch, the first Homo sapiens appeared. People began to create multi-coloured paintings.

Mesolithic Age:

Hunters and herders dominated this time period. The Holocene era encompasses both Mesolithic and Neolithic cultures (succeeded Pleistocene era around 10,000 years ago).
It is known as the period when mankind transitioned from being food gatherers to food producers. There were substantial changes in the climate of the Earth around 12,000 years ago, including a move to reasonably warm weather. As a result, Grasslands grew during this time.

People began to create food as males began to take a dominating role in agriculture because of the physical labour required for agriculture, as opposed to the Palaeolithic period when both genders were treated equally.

The evidence of domesticated animals was discovered at Adamgarh (Madhya Pradesh) and Bagor (Rajasthan).  The evidence we get from here is the use of a bow and arrow. Dog, deer, boar, and ostrich bones were also discovered at this site. With the polishing of stone tools like Microliths, the size of tools was lowered (not more than 5 cm). Most Mesolithic sites lack pottery, however, wheel use was discovered at Langhnaj, Gujarat, and in the Kaimur region of Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh. Plant cultivation was visible in the later stages.

As people’s lifestyles changed, new diseases emerged. People began to eat ground grain and cooked food throughout the Neolithic period, which resulted in dental and other health issues. The earliest evidence for drilling human teeth was discovered in Mehrgarh and was considered a precursor to dentistry. Langhnaj in Gujarat and Adamgarh in Madhya Pradesh and some places in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar are important sites of this period.

It has 4 stages:
 

Epi Palaeolithic – No pottery & geometric tools (symmetric tools).
Mesolithic I – No pottery but appearance of geometric tools.
Mesolithic II – pottery and geometric tools.
Proto-Neolithic – Features of Neolithic age.

Features of Important sites of the Mesolithic age:

  • Bagor Rajasthan on Kothari – largest & best document sites.
  • Chotanagpur Region, Central India.
  • South of River Krishna, Tinnevelly in Tamil Nadu.
  • Birbhanpur in Westbengal
  • Sarai Nahar Rai, near Allahabad.
  • Mahadaha in Uttar Pradesh, where bone artifacts were found, including arrowheads & bone ornaments.

Rock art was initiated during this time and 1st rock paintings were discovered at Sohagighat (Kaimur Hills, UP) in 1867.the 

Important rock art sites-  

Madhya Pradesh – Bhimbetka Caves, Kharwar, Jaora, & Kathotia; 

Orissa – Sundargarh and Sambalpur; 

Kerala – Ezhuthu Guha. gave the idea of religious practices & reflect the division of labour on basis of gender.
 



Last Updated : 23 Dec, 2022
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