Ancient History- Culture And Heritage- Know About The Country

PRE-HISTORIC ERA

It is the period that begins with the appearance of the human being, about 5 million years ago, and finishes with the invention of writing. The history of the development of mankind during this period is reconstructed through archeological and ethnological findings as there is no written record about this period.

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The part of history, which is known to us exclusively from the sources other than the written or epigraph one is called Pre History. The term Proto History signifies those ancient cultures which have left no written or epigraph evidence but yet we have rich other forms of evidence available that suggest that they were quite developed.

STONE AGE :

Earliest Stone tools 

Earliest Stone Tools Tools 

Earliest Stone ToolsEarliest Stone T
The earliest contributions to the study of the stone age in India were made by Shelby Foote (1916), a geologist.

• He made observations about the stone-age material from many parts of peninsular India.
• A catalog was published by him which he donated to the Madras Museum.
• His major contribution was that he distinguished the Paleolithic material from that of the Neolithic.
• The Paleolithic sites are largely found in various parts of the Indian sub-continent which are generally located near water sources.

 Some  sites which are famous for old stone age in India are as follows :

  ➨  The Shivalik hills.

  ➨ Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh.

  ➨ Adamgarh hills in Narmada valley.

  ➨ The Soan Valley and Potwar plateau in North-West India.

  ➨ Attirampakkam near Chennai.

  ➨ Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh.

STONE AGE  CATEGORISED INTO :

1. PALEOLITHIC AGE
2.  MESOLITHIC AGE
3. NEOLITHIC AGE

PALEOLITHIC AGE (OLD STONE) AGE.

 

·       The word Paleolithic is an extract from two Greek words meaning Old Stone. The name Paleolithic is applied to the earliest people as the only evidence of their existence is given by several crude stone implements.

·       This period was known for early tools like cleavers, chopping tools, in this age, Hand axes were also used.

·       People of this stage are primarily in a hunting and gathering stage.

·       The Paleolithic men were also called as QUARTZITE MAN.

·       In the upper stage of the Paleolithic period, the painting was also a known example- BHIM-BETKA in Madhya Pradesh.

s                          Stone art of Paleolithic Period ( Bhim-Betka )

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Homosapiens i.e. the modern human beings developed for the first time in the Upper Paleolithic age.

 MESOLITHIC AGE : HUNTERS AND HERDERS (10,000- 4,000B.C.)

·       Around 9000 B.C began an the intermediate stage, intervened as a transitional phase between the Paleolithic Age and the Neolithic or New Stone Age. The Mesolithic people lived on fishing and food gathering. hunting,

·       This age was also known for the domestication of an animal.

·       It was a transitional phase and characteristic tools of the Mesolithic Age were microliths.

·       The earliest evidence of domestication of animals in Bagor- Rajasthan  & Aadamgarh in Madhya Pradesh

·       The Mesolithic culture continued to be from 9000 B.C. to 4000 B.C. There is no doubt that it paved the way rise of the Neolithic culture.

  NEOLITHIC AGE (6,000-1,000 B.C.)

·       The term Neolithic meaning New Stone. Neolithic sites in India have been found near the sea, lake and mining and fishing areas such as Mask and Tinnevelly.

·       The important factor which decided the settlement of Neolithic men in India was the availability of the black colored rock, which is more tough and tenacious than quartzite.

·       This age was known for practice of Agriculture

·       Polishing of stone tools started

·       Pottery making started

·       This age was also known for settled life.

·       First important Neolithic site was Mehargarh (Baluchistan)earliest people who were first familiar of cotton.

·       The second important Neolithic site was the Kashmir area Burzahom which means the ‘place of birth’.

The Neolithic people in Kashmir used not only polished tools of stone but what is more interesting they used numerous tools and weapons made of bone. The only other place used bone tools in India is Chirand, which is 40km west of Patna on the northern side of the Ganga.

·       It is interesting that in Burzahom domestic dogs were buried with their masters in their graves.

·       The second group of Neolithic people lived in the south of the Godavari river. They used stone axes and also some kind of stone blades.

·       The third part from which Neolithic tools have been recovered is in the hills of Assam. Neolithic tools are also found in the Garo hills in Meghalaya on the north-eastern frontier of India.

CHALCOLITHIC (BRONZE) AGE

                                                   BRONZE AGE

This period was also known for BRW (Black and red ware). This was an attractive variety of ceramics prepared a fringing technique.

The Chalcolithic age is marked by the use of copper as it was the first metal used by man.

This age is marked as the transition from the individual usage of stone tools to the combined usage of copper and stone tools.

The supply of copper was limited. Chalcolithic age People don't know the art of mixing tin with copper.

 An economy based on:  

• Subsistence agriculture
• stock raising 
• hunting 
• fishing           
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