About the Stone Age (Prehistoric Period) in India
The Stone Age, also called the Prehistoric Period, is the earliest and longest phase of human history in India. It is called ‘prehistoric’ because no written records survive from this time; historians reconstruct it from stone tools, fossils, cave paintings and excavated sites. The age is divided into the Palaeolithic (Old Stone Age), the Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age), the Neolithic (New Stone Age) and the Chalcolithic (Copper-Stone Age). The word ‘Palaeolithic’ means ‘old stone’, ‘Mesolithic’ means ‘middle stone’ and ‘Neolithic’ means ‘new stone’.
The Palaeolithic Age (roughly 20,00,000 BC to 10,000 BC) was the age of hunters and food-gatherers. People were nomadic, moved in small groups, and used rough and unpolished stone tools made mostly of quartzite. The main tools were the hand axe, the cleaver and the chopper. They knew the use of fire, but they did not practise agriculture, did not make pottery and did not use metal. The Palaeolithic is divided into the Lower, Middle and Upper Palaeolithic. Important sites include the Soan valley (Punjab/Pakistan), the Narmada valley, Bhimbetka (Madhya Pradesh), the Belan valley (Uttar Pradesh) and the Kurnool caves (Andhra Pradesh). In 1982 a fossil human skull of the Homo erectus type was discovered at Hathnora in the Narmada valley.
The Mesolithic Age (roughly 10,000 BC to 6,000 BC) was a period of transition. Its characteristic tool was the microlith, a tiny and very sharp stone blade. People still hunted and gathered, but this age saw the first domestication of animals such as sheep, goat and cattle, and the beginnings of agriculture at some places. Rock shelters and cave paintings became common. Important sites are Bhimbetka, Bagor (Rajasthan), Adamgarh (Madhya Pradesh) and Sarai Nahar Rai (Uttar Pradesh).
The Neolithic Age (roughly 6,000 BC to 1,000 BC) was the age of settled village life and the real beginnings of farming. People used polished and ground stone tools, grew wheat, barley, rice and millets, domesticated cattle, made pottery, wove cloth and lived in permanent villages. The earliest farming site in the subcontinent is Mehrgarh (Balochistan, Pakistan). Burzahom (Kashmir) is famous for pit dwellings. Chirand (Bihar), Koldihwa (Uttar Pradesh, with evidence of the earliest rice), Piklihal and Hallur (Karnataka) are other important sites. In the North-East, Daojali Hading in Assam is a key Neolithic site. The Chalcolithic Age followed, in which people used both stone and copper. Copper was the first metal used by humans, while iron was still unknown. Chalcolithic cultures include Ahar, Kayatha, Malwa, Jorwe and Banas, found mainly in Central India and the Deccan.
For candidates from Assam, the Stone Age is especially important because of Daojali Hading in the Dima Hasao district. This site shows that the North-East had its own early Neolithic culture, and it links the prehistory of Assam with the wider Indian and South-East Asian Neolithic world. The single most useful thing to remember is the order of the ages: Palaeolithic → Mesolithic → Neolithic → Chalcolithic.
Timeline of the Stone Age
- c. 20,00,000 BC: Beginning of the Lower Palaeolithic.
- c. 10,000 BC: End of the Palaeolithic and beginning of the Mesolithic.
- c. 6,000 BC: Beginning of the Neolithic and of settled farming.
- c. 6,000 BC: Earliest farming at Mehrgarh.
- 1982: Hathnora fossil skull discovered in the Narmada valley.
- c. 6,000 BC to 1,000 BC: Neolithic village cultures in different parts of India.
Main Facts about the Stone Age (Quick Revision Bullets)
- Earliest period of Indian history: Palaeolithic (Old Stone Age).
- Type of tools in the Palaeolithic: rough and unpolished.
- Characteristic Mesolithic tool: microlith.
- Age of settled farming: Neolithic.
- First metal used by humans: copper (Chalcolithic Age).
- Metal unknown in the Stone Age: iron.
- Earliest farming site of the subcontinent: Mehrgarh.
- Pit-dwelling site: Burzahom (Kashmir).
- Site with earliest evidence of rice: Koldihwa (Uttar Pradesh).
- Famous rock shelters and paintings: Bhimbetka (Madhya Pradesh).
- Hathnora fossil: Narmada valley (Madhya Pradesh).
- Neolithic site in Assam: Daojali Hading (Dima Hasao).
- Fire first used in: the Palaeolithic Age.
- Animal domestication began in: the Mesolithic Age.
- Chalcolithic means: Copper-Stone Age.
Important Persons and Terms
- Homo erectus: an early human species; a fossil skull of this type was found at Hathnora.
- Hand axe, cleaver, chopper: the main Palaeolithic tools.
- Microlith: a small, sharp stone blade characteristic of the Mesolithic Age.
- Mehrgarh: the earliest farming site in the subcontinent.
- Burzahom: a Neolithic site in Kashmir known for pit dwellings.
- Daojali Hading: an important Neolithic site in Assam.
- Chalcolithic: the culture in which stone and copper were used together.
Why the Stone Age Matters for Exams
The Stone Age is a favourite topic in Indian history because its facts are fixed and easy to ask. Common questions include: Which is the earliest period of Indian history? (Palaeolithic.) What kind of tools were used in the Palaeolithic? (rough, unpolished stone tools.) What is the characteristic Mesolithic tool? (microlith.) In which age did settled farming begin? (Neolithic.) What was the first metal used by humans? (copper.) Which is the earliest farming site of the subcontinent? (Mehrgarh.) Which site is known for pit dwellings? (Burzahom.) Where is Daojali Hading? (Assam.) A frequent trap is to say that agriculture began in the Palaeolithic; in fact it began in the Neolithic, with only early traces in the Mesolithic. Another trap is to confuse copper with iron: copper came first, and iron was unknown in the Stone Age. The topic is also important because it explains the very beginning of human settlement in the Indian subcontinent, including the North-East.
How to Prepare the Stone Age
- Fix the order. Palaeolithic, then Mesolithic, then Neolithic, then Chalcolithic.
- Learn the tool of each age. Rough stone tools in the Palaeolithic, microliths in the Mesolithic, polished tools in the Neolithic.
- Learn the beginning of farming. Agriculture began in the Neolithic; the earliest farming site is Mehrgarh.
- Learn one site for each fact. Burzahom for pit dwellings, Koldihwa for earliest rice, Bhimbetka for rock paintings and Daojali Hading for Assam.
- Learn the metals. Copper was the first metal; iron was not known in the Stone Age.
Common Exam Traps
- Agriculture did not begin in the Palaeolithic; it began in the Neolithic.
- Copper was the first metal, not iron.
- Bhimbetka is in Madhya Pradesh, not in Assam.
- Daojali Hading belongs to the Neolithic, not the Palaeolithic.
- The microlith belongs to the Mesolithic Age.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Stone Age?
The Stone Age, or Prehistoric Period, is the earliest phase of human history in India, when people used stone tools and left no written records. It is divided into the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic and Chalcolithic ages.
Which is the earliest and longest phase of the Stone Age?
The Palaeolithic, or Old Stone Age, which lasted roughly from 20,00,000 BC to 10,000 BC.
When did settled farming begin in India?
Settled farming began in the Neolithic Age, roughly from 6,000 BC. The earliest farming site in the subcontinent is Mehrgarh.
What was the first metal used by humans?
Copper was the first metal used by humans, in the Chalcolithic (Copper-Stone) Age. Iron was still unknown then.
Which Neolithic site is important for Assam?
Daojali Hading in the Dima Hasao district of Assam is a key Neolithic site that links the prehistory of the North-East with the wider Indian Neolithic.
Which Stone Age site is famous for rock paintings?
Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh is famous for its rock shelters and prehistoric cave paintings.