Prehistoric cultures in India span a vast timeline and encompass various stages of human development, from the Paleolithic to the Iron Age. Here's a detailed overview of these periods:
1. Paleolithic Age (Old Stone Age)
Early Paleolithic (circa 2.5 million to 250,000 years ago)
- Tools and Technology: Characterized by the use of simple stone tools like hand-axes and cleavers. The Soanian culture in the Siwalik region and the Madrasian culture in Tamil Nadu are notable examples.
- Sites: Important sites include the Soan Valley (Punjab), the Bhimbetka rock shelters (Madhya Pradesh), and Attirampakkam (Tamil Nadu).
Middle Paleolithic (circa 250,000 to 40,000 years ago)
- Tools and Technology: Development of more sophisticated flake tools and the Levallois technique. Tools include scrapers, borers, and points.
- Sites: Bhimbetka (Madhya Pradesh), Nevasa (Maharashtra), and Sanghao Cave (Pakistan).
Upper Paleolithic (circa 40,000 to 10,000 years ago)
- Tools and Technology: Emergence of blade tools, burins, and microliths. Use of bone and antler tools.
- Art and Culture: Evidence of early art, such as the rock paintings at Bhimbetka.
- Sites: Patne (Maharashtra), Bhimbetka (Madhya Pradesh), and Baghor (Madhya Pradesh).
2. Mesolithic Age (Middle Stone Age)
(circa 10,000 to 4,000 BCE)
- Tools and Technology: Characterized by microliths—small, geometric stone tools. Transition from hunting-gathering to more settled life with beginnings of agriculture and domestication of animals.
- Art and Culture: Rock paintings and engravings, particularly in the Vindhya and Satpura ranges. The paintings depict scenes of hunting, dancing, and daily life.
- Sites: Bagor (Rajasthan), Langhnaj (Gujarat), and Bhimbetka (Madhya Pradesh).
3. Neolithic Age (New Stone Age)
(circa 4,000 to 1,800 BCE)
- Tools and Technology: Introduction of polished stone tools, pottery, and agricultural practices. Domestication of plants (wheat, barley) and animals (cattle, sheep, goats).
- Settlements: More permanent settlements with evidence of granaries, houses, and storage pits.
- Sites: Mehrgarh (Balochistan, Pakistan), Chirand (Bihar), Burzahom (Kashmir), and Hallur (Karnataka).
4. Chalcolithic Age (Copper-Stone Age)
(circa 3,000 to 1,000 BCE)
- Tools and Technology: Use of both stone and copper tools. Introduction of metallurgy.
- Settlements and Culture: Development of early agricultural societies with elaborate burial practices. Regional cultures with distinctive pottery styles, such as the Jorwe culture in Maharashtra and the Ahar-Banas culture in Rajasthan.
- Sites: Inamgaon (Maharashtra), Navdatoli (Madhya Pradesh), and Gilund (Rajasthan).
5. Iron Age5. Iron Age
(circa 1,500 BCE onward)
- Tools and Technology: Introduction and widespread use of iron tools and weapons, which revolutionized agriculture, warfare, and daily life.
- Cultural Developments: Rise of early urban centers and complex societies. Development of the megalithic cultures, particularly in South India.
- Sites: Adichanallur (Tamil Nadu), Brahmagiri (Karnataka), and the Painted Grey Ware (PGW) sites in the Gangetic plains.
Key Contributions and Highlights
- Rock Art: Bhimbetka rock shelters with their extensive and varied prehistoric paintings.
- Agricultural Beginnings: Mehrgarh, one of the earliest sites with evidence of farming and animal domestication.
- Megalithic Structures: Dolmens, cairns, and stone circles, especially in South India, indicating complex burial practices and social structures.
