This article will discuss the major points and facts of the “Stone Age” and” Prehistoric Period” of India. The Stone Age encompasses various periods of ancient history, including the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, and Chalcolithic Ages. Key points, notes, and general knowledge from the Stone Age of India are important for UPSC Prelims and other competitive government job exams.
What is the Prehistoric Period?
The period from the beginning of human civilization to the invention of writing is called the prehistoric period. There are no written records from this time.
Fossils alone are not enough to understand prehistoric humans. To learn more, we need to study tools made of stone, metal, and other materials. It is believed that early humans started living on Earth around 2,50,000 BC.
The Stone Age was a long period when people used stone to make tools with sharp edges or points. This period lasted for about 3.4 million years and ended between 4000 and 2000 BC with the invention of metal tools.
Evidence from the village of Bori in Maharashtra shows that the earliest humans in India lived about 1.4 million years ago. Later, around 3000 BC, humans began making stone tools and weapons. Because of this, that time is known as the Stone Age.
Classifications of Stone Age
The Stone Age is further divided into three parts, namely,
- Paleolithic age (5,00,000 BC – 25,000 BC) – also known as Old Stone Age
- Mesolithic age (10,000 BC – 5,000 BC) – also known as Middle Stone Age
- Neolithic age (5,000 BC – 2,500 BC) – also known as New Stone Age
Classification of Historical Periods
| Period | Script Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-History | No writing | Stone Age |
| Proto-History | Writing found but unreadable | Harappan Civilization |
| History | Writing found and readable | Vedic Civilization |
Human Evolution in the Prehistoric Period
| Species | Period (Approx.) | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Australopithecus | 40 – 30 lakh years ago | Walked on two legs, strong jaw |
| Homo habilis | 26 – 17 lakh years ago | Used stone tools, lived in groups |
| Homo erectus | 20 – 3.5 lakh years ago | Used fire, lived in caves, upright posture |
| Homo sapiens | Since 2.3 lakh years ago | Used sharp tools, fire, and wore clothes |
Paleolithic Age (Old Stone Age)
Key Features:
- “Palaeo” = Old, “Lithic” = Stone.
- Humans were hunter-gatherers.
- Used stone tools (hand-axe, chopper, scrapers).
- Lived in caves or open areas.
- Knew nothing of farming, pottery, or fire (early phase).
- Belonged to the Negrito race.
- Also called Quartzite men due to quartzite tools.
Important Sites: Soan Valley (Pakistan), Hathnora (Madhya Pradesh), Bhimbetka (Madhya Pradesh)
Duration: There is disagreement among historians regarding the exact duration of this era.
- This era is considered to be contemporary with the Pleistocene era.
- This period spans approximately from 2.6 million BCE – 10,000 BCE.
- This period spans from the emergence of stone tools to the end of the last Ice Age
The Paleolithic Age is further divided into three periods – the
- Lower Paleolithic
- Middle Paleolithic
- Late Paleolithic.
The Lower Paleolithic Age
Duration: 2.5 million – 200,000 BC
Human species: Homo habilis or Homo erectus.
Location: Kashmir region (formerly Swan region of Pakistan-Swan culture), Patwar Plateau, Shivalik Mountains in Himachal Pradesh, Hungsi Valley in Karnataka, Auripakkam near Chennai in Tamil Nadu, Didwana in Rajasthan, Nevasa in Maharashtra, Narmada Valley in Madhya Pradesh. Traces of ancient settlements have been found at Kurnool in Karnataka, Shanghai in Pakistan, and Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh.
Tools/Weapons: Mainly stone tools, axes, and ‘chopper ‘- type weapons. These weapons were made of pebbles or quartzite. These inferior heavy machines were the ‘core tools’ of the time. A hand ax weapon from about 5 to 7 lakh years ago has been found in the Pahalgaon region of Kashmir.
Food: People of this age were mainly food gatherers. Lived by hunting and gathering fruits. People of that time did not know about animal husbandry.
Residence: Had no permanent residence. Lived under the open sky or in natural caves.
The Middle Paleolithic Age
Duration: 200,000 – 40,000 BC
Location: Artifacts of weapons (mainly flake-type) found at Nevasa in Maharashtra, Didwana in Rajasthan (approx. 57000 years ago).
Tools/Weapons: The weapons were relatively light and small but sharp in nature. Flake-type (light angle) weapons were among the most common in this era. The main weapons used in this phase were Knife (Blade), Bladelet, Burin (piercing weapon), etc.
Late/Upper Paleolithic Age
Duration: 40,000 – 10,000 BC
The predominance of the Negro ethnic group was one of the characteristics of the late Paleolithic period.
Tools/Weapons: The influence of knife-like implements made of flake continued. Blades and burins, as well as tools for moulding, crescent-shaped tools and other small tools, began to be used in the late Paleolithic phase.
Artifacts of this era have been found in India’s Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka states.
Mesolithic Age 10000 to 6000 BC
Key Features:
- “Meso” = Middle, “Lithic” = Stone.
- Also called the Microlithic Period.
- Tools: very small, sharp microliths fixed to handles or sticks.
- Fire was discovered.
- Early forms of fishing, herding, and basic farming began.
- Pottery started (without potter’s wheel).
Duration: 10000 to 6000 BC
Major sites: A few tombs have been found at archaeological sites like Sarai Nahar Rai, Mahadha, Bagor, Adamgarh in MP, Langhnaj in Gujarat and Biharanpur in West Bengal, Bhimbetka caves, valleys of river Tapi, Sabarmati, Narmada etc.
Tools: Microlithic tools became widespread during this period. This period is therefore also called the ‘Microlithic’ period. As the tools were very small in size, they were used either embedded or attached to a stick-like object. Notable among these were bone blades, edged knives, and quern-like materials (found in the Sarai Nahar Rai region).
People: The people living in the east of India were mainly of Mongol origin and the people living in the west were of Caucasian ethnicity.
Artifacts: Artifacts of this period have been found at Lakhanj in Gujarat, Patan near Chalisgaon in Maharashtra (28,000-year-old tools), Sarai Nahar Rai, Mahadha, Chopani Mando in Uttar Pradesh, Adamgarh in Madhya Pradesh, Bagor Pachapadra Valley and Sojat region in Rajasthan and Tineveli in the south.
Livelihood and Animal Husbandry: The main livelihoods of this period were hunting, animal husbandry, fishing, fruit gathering and agriculture (in the latter). They are believed to have existed from the bones of animals such as sheep, goats, deer, pigs, rhinos, elephants, turtles etc.
Info: There are indications of pottery during this period, but there was no use of the potter’s wheel. Fire was discovered in this period.
Neolithic Age 6000 to 2500 BC
Key Features:
- “Neo” = New, “Lithic” = Stone.
- Tools: polished, smooth stone tools.
- Permanent settlements began.
- Practiced agriculture and animal domestication.
- Used spinning wheels, made cotton threads.
- Familiar with copper.
- Developed pottery and houses.
Major sites: Sindh and Baluchistan (North-West India), Sangankalpa and Piklihal (Southern India), Bihar, Odisha and Assam (Eastern India), Mehergarh (7000 BC), Burzahom & Gufkral (Kashmir), Piklihal, Brahmagiri (Karnataka), Koldihwa and Mahagara, some parts of Belan Valley bear traces of the earliest Neolithic period in India.
Weapons or Tools: Weapons made of smooth and shiny stones were used as compared to earlier.
Artifacts:
- cottage construction.
- Improvement in subsistence agriculture and animal husbandry.
- Spinning wheel, earthenware and methods of making thread from cotton were invented.
- People became familiar with copper metal.
- No small arms of this period have been found in Kashmir.
- Burjahom in Kashmir is the first indication of burial practices of this period. Here, it was customary to bury domestic animals with their masters.
- Evidence of paddy cultivation was found in Allahabad.
- Traces of the potter’s wheel and the use of fire were discovered at Mehergarh.
Info: Historian Gordon Childe called this period the ‘Neolithic Revolution’.
Info: The Neolithic period marks the beginning of the later Chalcolithic Age. The Chalcolithic Age belongs to the Proto-Historic Age.
Chalcolithic Age 2000-1000 BC
Key Features:
- Used both stone and copper tools.
- Bronze made by mixing copper + tin.
- Started social hierarchies and power struggles.
- Practiced advanced farming.
Duration: 2000-1000 BC
- Known as the Stone Copper Age
- A notable feature of this era was the use of both copper and bronze in the manufacture of utensils and equipment.
- From this time struggle for power and exploitation started among people.
- During this time, people learned to use copper with stone and to mix tin with copper to make bronze.
Sites: Ahar & Gilund (Banas valley), Daimabad (Maharashtra), Malwa & Kayatha (MP), Sonpur (Bihar), Mahishdal (West Bengal), Songaon, and Nasik, etc.
Different cultures: During this period, the Banas culture developed on the banks of the Banas River near Kathiabar. It is also called the Ahar culture. The Kayatha culture developed on the banks of the Chambal River and its tributaries. The Malay culture (in Gujarat) developed along the banks of the Narmada and its tributaries.
Artifacts: Apart from this, copper-stone age artifacts have been found at Piklihal, Eran, Nasik, Nevasa, Chirand in North Bihar, Dhulia in Maharashtra, Bangpur and Harappa.
Livelihood: Agriculture was the main livelihood during this period. Rice, wheat, tin or beans were among the crops produced.
Art and Machinery: Artifacts of weaving and pottery (red-black) have been found. Copper items, batali, harpoon, axe, etc. were notable among the implements.
Other features: People learned to build houses made of mud, wood and terra cotta. Bull and mother goddess worship was common.
Some notable cultures of the Chalcolithic Age and its periods
| Kayatha culture | 2000-1800 BC |
| Bangpur Culture | 1400-900 BC |
| Chirand Culture | eighth century AD |
| Ahar–Banas culture | 2000-1400 BC |
| Malay Culture | 1700-1200 BC |
Prehistoric Iron Age
- Duration: 1500 to 600 BCE
- The Vedic era, Buddhism, Jainism, and the arrival of the Aryans all flourished during the Iron Age.
- Mahajanapadas arose.
- Jainism, Buddhism flourished.
Conclusion
- The Stone Age in India reveals how human life evolved from simple stone tools to agriculture and metal use.
- Study of this period is based on tools, fossils, and sites, not written records.
- Major transitions: Nomadic life → Settlements → Agriculture → Metal tools.