Prehistoric
Indian History · प्रागैतिहासिक काल
📋Quick Overview
Prehistoric period is the time before writing was invented. We know about this period ONLY through archaeological evidence — stone tools, cave paintings, pottery, and fossils. It is divided into Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and Metal Age (Chalcolithic, Iron Age).
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Prehistoric = 'before history' — NO written records exist. Proto-historic = writing exists but NOT deciphered (like Indus Valley script).
📖Stone Age — Three Periods
| Period | Time | Tools | Key Sites | Key Facts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paleolithic (Old Stone Age) | 5 lakh–10,000 BCE | Hand axe, cleaver, chopper (rough, unpolished) | Bhimbetka (MP), Sohan Valley (Pak), Belan Valley (UP), Narmada Valley | Hunters & food gatherers. NO agriculture, NO pottery, NO houses. Lived in caves. Used QUARTZITE stone. First human bones from Narmada Valley. |
| Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) | 10,000–8,000 BCE | Microliths (small stone tools) | Bagor (Rajasthan), Adamgarh (MP), Langhnaj (Gujarat) | First evidence of ANIMAL DOMESTICATION (dog was first). Bagor = oldest evidence of animal domestication in India. Cave paintings at Bhimbetka. |
| Neolithic (New Stone Age) | 8,000–4,000 BCE | Polished stone axes, bone tools | Burzahom (Kashmir), Chirand (Bihar), Mehrgarh (Pak), Koldihwa (UP) | FIRST agriculture (wheat, barley, rice). First pottery. First permanent houses. Mehrgarh = oldest agricultural site in Indian subcontinent. Koldihwa = oldest rice evidence in world. |
📝"First / Oldest" — Quick Facts
- •OLDEST human bones in India → Narmada Valley (Homo erectus)
- •FIRST animal domesticated → Dog (Mesolithic period)
- •OLDEST agriculture in subcontinent → Mehrgarh (Balochistan, Pakistan) ~7000 BCE
- •OLDEST evidence of rice cultivation → Koldihwa (UP)
- •OLDEST cave paintings → Bhimbetka (MP) — UNESCO World Heritage Site
- •Burzahom (Kashmir) — people lived in PIT houses (underground). Buried dogs with humans.
- •Chirand (Bihar) — bone tools found. Neolithic site on banks of river Ganga.
📖Chalcolithic Age (Copper-Stone Age)
After Neolithic, people started using copper along with stone — this is the Chalcolithic Age. They still did NOT know iron. They practiced agriculture, made painted pottery, and built mud-brick houses.
| Culture | Location | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Ahar-Banas | Rajasthan | Black-and-red ware pottery |
| Kayatha | Madhya Pradesh | Copper axes found |
| Malwa | Madhya Pradesh | Richest Chalcolithic culture |
| Jorwe | Maharashtra | Largest Chalcolithic site: Daimabad |
| Inamgaon | Maharashtra | Adult burials inside house floors |