- The concept of prehistoric generally refers to the time period before written history. Similar to the origin of great civilizations ancient times like Mesopotamian and Egyptian, India also witnessed the infant stages of civilization in pre historic times.
- The historic timelines are generally coined to represent various stages of human evolution and his advancement with respect to technology.
- Human society was litho [.i.e., Stone] centric, largely, in pre historic times. From shelter to hunting, everything was depended on stones/rocks. We were raw hunters and we gathered fruits and nuts to eat. The beginning phase is therefore called as Paleolithic [paleo means old]. i.e., Old Stone age. Paleolithic is further divided by historians as ‘Lower or early Palaeolithic, the controlled use of fire was likely an invention of our ancestor Homo erectus during the Early Stone Age (or Lower Paleolithic). The earliest evidence of fire associated with humans comes from Oldowan hominid sites in the Lake Turkana region of Kenya [5lakh to 50000 BC), then Middle Palaeolithic [50000 bc to 40000bc] and finally Upper or later Paleolithic stage which ended around 10000 BC. What is the significance of ~10000bc! It is the end of last ice age.
- Sites of early Paleolithic: Bhimbetka [MP], Valleys of Narmada, isolated sites in Kashmir
- Sites of Middle Paleolithic: Bhimbetka, Narmada valley, Tungabhadra
- Sites of Later Paleolithic: Bhimbetka, isolated places in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra
- With the end of last Ice age’ climate became warm. human life and its mobility across the globe started to increase. The cave paintings, early ones as those are found now belong to Upper or later paleolithic. Remember about Bhimbetka cave
- After the Paleolithic/Old stone age period, there is a brief time span called as Mesolithic or Middle Stone age [10000bc to 8000 BC]. With increasing mobility humans can’t carry large stones and so they created small stone flakes called as ‘Microliths’, which is the most important feature of Mesolithic period. Evidence of early domestication of animals were reported from Mesolithic period and so is the primitive/rudimentary agriculture. Cave paintings become more advanced during this age.
- Sites of Mesolithic Age: Adamgarh in MP, Bagor Rajasthan, South of River Krishna, isolated regions in Central and eastern India.
- The next phase, known as Neolithic/New stone age [8000BC to 4000BC] can be called as the real dawn of the human civilization which is as we witness now. With real advancement in stone tools and technology and improved domestication of animals Humans started leaving more settled life. Neolithic people were the early farming communities. From Hunter-Gatherers of early times, we become Hunter-Herders. Houses were built using leaves and wood and some places dwelling pits in soil were excavated from this age. Advanced potteries like Black polished ware, Grey polished ware were other highlights. Dog Burial site in Burzahom, Jammu and Kashmir is a place of great significance in this age.
- Sites of Neolithic age: Chirand in Bihar, Kashmir Valley, Piklihal in Karnataka, Adichanallur in Tamil Nadu
- Period spanning 4000BC to around 1000 BC is called by historians as Chalcolithic Age [Chalco means Copper], referring to the mixed and equally important use of Stone implements and copper. Copper is the first metal discovered and used by humans. Though copper was first used in Babylonia around 8000BC, in Indian subcontinent it was around 3500BC copper use become prominent. From copper mines in Rajasthan scattered rural settlements in ancient India started learning the use of copper as an important entity. It took some time for the early chalcolithic communities to mature into a well-advanced urban life as evident from the remains of Harappan Civilization.
- Black and Red pottery is the highlight of Chalcolithic age. This wheel made pottery is known for white linear designs on it. Raw meat-eating food habits had been replaced by the uses of pulses and grams like rice, wheat, lentils etc. Thanks to advanced farming
- The practice of bead making become more polished during this phase. An important Go to Setting activate Windows feature of chalcolithic age is that the people were unaware of Burnt bricks and largely used mudbricks for construction.
- Sites of Chalcolithic settlements: Kalibangan Rajasthan, Banawali Haryana, Navdatoli, southern and east India.
- Chalcolithic age gave the foundation for the establishment of Harappan Civilization. Harappan civilization, which is in Bronze age can be called as the culmination of the rapid advancement in copper Age with the better grade of copper in place leading to production of Bronze.
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