Indian Prehistoric Age

INDIAN
PREHISTORIC AGE
INDEX
INTRODUCTION
PREHISTORIC PERIODS OF INDIA
PALEOLITHIC AGE OF INDIA
MESOLITHIC AGE OF INDIA
NEOLITHIC AGE OF INDIA
CHALCOLITHIC AGE OF INDIA
MEGALITHIC PERIOD
CONCLUSION
INTRODUCTION
The history of human settlements in India dates back to prehistoric times that are
marked by the stone age bronze age and iron age. There are no written or decipherable
records available for this period of history, hence it is called “Prehistoric
period”[ Pre: Before, Historic: written history ]. The available knowledge is based on
some archeological evidence like pottery, artifacts, stone tools, and metal implements
used by prehistoric people that are found from many places.
PREHISTORIC PERIODS OF INDIA
Chronological sequence Name of Prehistorical period Specialities
I Paleolithic (Old Stone Age) The period when man used crude stone tools & weapons
& led a nomadic life.
II Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) It was an intermediate period between Paleolithic &
Neolithic ages.
III Neolithic (New Stone Age) The period when man used polished stone tools,
domesticated animals, look to agriculture & led a settled
life in villages.
IV Chalcolithic The transitional stage when both copper or bronze &
stone tools & weapons were used & man led a settled
life. “Chalco” is a Greek word & means copper.
PALEOLITHIC AGE OF INDIA
PERIOD 2.5 Million BC to 8,000 BC
FEATURES • Part of the Ice Age (1,00,000 to 8,000 BC)
• Use of fire was started during this time.
• Use of land bridges was found during this period.
TOOLS • Used tools such as axe, cleavers and scrappers made out of bones and stones.
HABITATION & • Hunters & gatherers

OCCUPATION • Nomadic people - no settled life
• No knowledge of agriculture
• Found shelter in caves
• Cave paintings are found from these times, there are about eight hundred rock shelters in
Bhimbetka (Madhya Pradesh), five hundred of which bear paintings.
IMPORTANT • Belan valley (Uttar Pradesh)
SITES • Sohan valley (Present day Pakistan)
• Rajasthan (Thar desert)
• Narmada Valley
GALLERY
MESOLITHIC AGE OF INDIA
PERIOD 9,000 BC to 4000 BC
FEATURES • The climate became warm and dry in this age.

• Climate change also resulted in changes in flora & fauna.
• This made it possible for human beings to move to new areas.
• It was a transitional period (intermediate period) between the Paleolithic and Neolithic
periods. Thus, it is also sometimes referred as the Late Stone age.
TOOLS • Size of the tools became small. The characteristic tools of this period are Microliths that
were small stone tools probably stuck to stones to be used as saws and sickles.
• Tools used include blades, daggers, spearheads, crescents, arrowheads, triangles, sickles,
trapezes, etc.
IMPORTANT SITES • Bagaur (Rajasthan): Had a microlithic industry

• Adamgarh (Madhya Pradesh): Earliest evidence of domestication of animals)
• Langhnaj (Gujarat): Earliest evidence of burial of dead are found.
NEOLITHIC AGE OF INDIA
PERIOD 7000 BC– 2500 BC
TOOLS • Polished stone tools were used.
• Burins, saws and chisels were found
• Black burnished ware, grey ware and mat-impressed ware used in pottery.
HABITATION & OCCUPATION • Systematic agriculture was started that was made possible due to change in the
climate.
• Use of fertilizers, sickle and pottery in agriculture
• Slash and burn system was used.
• Horse Gram and Ragi were cultivated
• Wheel was discovered in this age.
• Domestication of cattle, sheep & goats
• Evidence of dogs, pigs and chickens are also found
• Fire baked earthen pots are found at many places
IMPORTANT SITES • Burzahom (2700 BC, Kashmir)

• Norther spurs of Vindhyas in Mirzapur and Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh)
• Hallur, Maski, Brahmagiri, Takkalkota (Karnataka)
• Paiyampalli (2000 to 1000 BC, Tamil Nadu)
• Mehargarh (7000 BC, Pakistan) – Oldest neolithic settlement
GALLERY
CHALCOLITHIC AGE OF INDIA
PERIOD 2100 BC to 700 BC
FEATURES • More of a transitional period between the Neolithic & the Bronze age.
• Use of Copper & stone tools was found.
TOOLS • Main tools of this period were made of both stones and copper.
• Unique feature of this period was painted black pottery as well as Red Ware
HABITATION & • Mainly involved in farming activities.
OCCUPATION • Unique feature of this era was their burial practice.
IMPORTANT SITES • Gilund (Rajasthan),
• Balathal (Rajasthan),
• Ahar (Rajasthan),
• Dhulia (Svalda culture, Maharashtra),
• Narmada valley (Gujarat) and
• Chambal valley
GALLERY
MEGALITHIC PERIOD
A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or
monument, either alone or together with other stones. ... Most extant megaliths were
erected between the Neolithic period (although earlier Mesolithic examples are known)
through the Chalcolithic period and into the Bronze Age. Megaliths are spread across the
Indian subcontinent, though the bulk of them are found in peninsular India,
concentrated in the states of Maharashtra (mainly in Vidarbha), Karnataka, Tamil Nadu,
Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
The muthumakkathazhi or nannangadi is a megalithic burial monument in Kerala, in
which the corpse is buried in a big urn. The word muthumakkathazhi is derived from
muthumakkal (predecessors in local parlance) and thazhi (big urn). Some claim that the
pot was named so as it was used to bury the corpses of prominent persons like village
chieftains. In north Kerala these burial pots are called nannangadis.
There was also a practice to keep weapons along with the corpse in the
muthumakkathazhis. The nannangadis were mostly discovered from the coastal areas.
Thazhis were found in Kodungallur, Panangad and Eaniyoor areas.
The "kudakkallu" is also a kind of megalithic monument found in Kerala. The
"kudakallus" are burial sites in which the corpse is buried and curvilinear blocks are
installed on the ground with a hollow space in between. An umbrella-shaped block is
kept atop. In the case of "thoppikallu" (hood stone), the umbrella-shaped rock is placed
on the ground.The "kudakallu" and "thopikallu" monuments are found at Chowannur,
Kandanassery, Porkulam, Eyyal, Kattakampal and Ariyannur in Thrissur district. The
"kudakkallu" is mostly found in regions that fall under the erstwhile Kochi kingdom.
CONCLUSION
Through these we can understand that humans had a rich art consciousness
within them even in the prehistoric times.
 We can see that massive gradual development of humans from Paleolithic age
to Chalcolithic age.
When we reach Chalcolithic age we can experience that development in almost
every field, that is, they developed in technology and farming through their new
inventions, also there was a development in their culture, settlements and
religious believes and rituals.
 Discovery of all these art works almost gives an account on the pre historic
people and their life.
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INDIAN

HABITATION & • Hunters & gatherers

FEATURES • The climate became warm and dry in this age.

IMPORTANT SITES • Bagaur (Rajasthan): Had a microlithic industry

IMPORTANT SITES • Burzahom (2700 BC, Kashmir)

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