प्रागैतिहासिक काल (Prehistoric Period) Complete Notes

Classification of History (Flowchart)

Basic Principles & Sources of History

To understand the gradual evolution of human civilization, history is divided into three major periods. Archaeologist Christian Jürgensen Thomsen divided the entire history into a three-age system (Stone, Bronze, and Iron ages) based on the availability of metals, while John Lubbock classified it based on writing and literary evidence.

1. Palaeolithic Period (Old Stone Age)

Time Period: Roughly 2 Million BC to 12,000 BC

This was the earliest and longest era of human history, corresponding to the Pleistocene Epoch (Ice Age) from a geological perspective. During this time, the earth was largely covered in ice. Humans of this era were completely primitive and barbaric.

Key Lifestyle & Characteristics:

• Food Gatherers & Hunters: Humans of this time were consumers, not producers. They survived solely by hunting wild animals and gathering wild roots and fruits. Their lifestyle was entirely Nomadic.
• Invention of Fire: The most epoch-making event of the Palaeolithic period was the Discovery of Fire, although humans had not yet fully mastered its controlled use.
• Nature of Tools: Tools were made of large, unpolished, and crude stones, primarily crafted from Quartzite, Flint, and Jasper.

2. Mesolithic Period (Middle Stone Age)

Time Period: 12,000 BC to 10,000 BC

This period was a **Transitional Phase** between the Palaeolithic and Neolithic ages. Significant climatic changes occurred, marking the beginning of the current geological epoch, the Holocene, which led to the melting of ice and the development of grasslands. Information about this period in India was first given by **C.L. Carlleyle** in 1867 after discovering microliths in the Vindhya region.

Key Lifestyle & Characteristics:

• Microliths: Stone tools during this time became very small (ranging from 1 to 5 centimeters). They were crafted to be extremely minute and sharp, hence this era is called the 'Microlithic Age'.
• Beginning of Animal Husbandry: The domestication of animals in human history began during the Mesolithic period. The first animal to be domesticated was the Dog.
• Funeral Rites: The first clear evidence of systematic funeral rites or human burials starts appearing from this period.

3. Neolithic Period (New Stone Age)

Time Period: 10,000 BC to 3,000 BC

The famous historian V. Gordon Childe termed the great changes that occurred during this period as the **'Neolithic Revolution'**. In this era, humans completely transformed from hunters to **'Food Producers'** and began to conquer nature. Evidence of this period in India was first discovered by Le Mesurier in 1860 in the Tons River Valley.

Key Lifestyle & Characteristics:

• Systematic Development of Agriculture: Humans started farming on a large scale. The earliest cultivated crops included Wheat and Barley.
• Settled Social Life: To look after agriculture, humans began to settle in one place, leading to the creation of Permanent Settlements and villages.
• Invention of the Wheel: The invention of the Wheel for carrying heavy loads and making pottery was the greatest technological discovery of this era.
• Polished Tools: Tools of this period were highly smooth, sharp, and polished. Stone axes were predominantly used.

4. Chalcolithic Period (Stone-Copper Age)

Towards the end of the Neolithic period, the use of metals alongside stones began. The **first metal discovered and used by humans was 'Copper'**. Due to the combined use of stone (Lithic) and copper (Chalco), this era is called the Chalcolithic Age. It was essentially a **rural farming culture** that later laid the foundation for the urban Bronze Age civilization of the Indus Valley.

Major Regional Chalcolithic Cultures:

Distinct cultures developed in different regions of India during this period, with variations in their pottery and lifestyle:

• Ahar or Banas Culture (Rajasthan): The Ahar site near Udaipur was known in ancient times as 'Tambavati' (Place of Copper) because large-scale copper smelting furnaces and workshops were found here. Its major center was 'Gilund', which showed evidence of baked bricks.
• Malwa Culture (MP): The Malwa culture is famous throughout India for its excellent quality pottery. The most important site of this culture is Navdatoli, excavated by Prof. H.D. Sankalia. The largest variety and heaps of food grains (wheat, linseed, lentils, peas) in India were found here.
• Kayatha Culture (MP): Situated in the Chambal River valley, this culture is considered contemporary to the Harappan civilization. Copper bangles and necklaces of semi-precious stones were found in the houses here.
• Jorwe Culture (Maharashtra): Spread across western Maharashtra, this was the most extensive culture. Major sites include Daimabad, Inamgaon, and Nevasa.
  ▪️ Daimabad: Solid copper objects like the famous 'Copper Chariot', elephants, rhinos, and buffalo figures were found here.
  ▪️ Inamgaon: It was the largest fortified settlement of the Chalcolithic period, yielding mother goddess figurines and large granaries.

5. Megalithic Culture

The culture that emerged in South India (Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala) after the decline of the Neolithic period is called the **Megalithic Age**. People of this era used to place huge and massive stone boulders (Megaliths) in circles around the graves of the deceased as identifying monuments. This culture was primarily associated with the use of iron weapons and Black-and-Red Ware (BRW) pottery. Key sites include *Brahmagiri, Maski, and Adichanallur*.

Ultimate Master Table: Key Sites & Vital Evidences