Paleolithic Age Part -1

Table of Contents

Palaeolithic Age Part -1

Ancient Indian history covers the earliest phase of India’s past, beginning with the prehistoric age and extending up to the early medieval period. It provides valuable insights into the evolution of human life, society, culture, and governance in the Indian subcontinent. This period includes the Stone Age cultures, the Harappan Civilisation, the Vedic Age, the rise of powerful Mahajanapadas, the spread of Buddhism and Jainism, and the rule of major empires from the Mauryas to the Guptas. All the necessary and detailed information related to these topics will be provided in the articles below.

Ancient Indian History is broadly divided into three periods:
Period	Key Features	Also Known As
Prehistoric Period	No written records; life known through tools, fossils, and cave paintings	Stone Age
Proto-Historic Period	Written records found but not yet deciphered	Post-Historic Period
Historic Period	Written records found and deciphered; detailed historical information available	Recorded History

Pre-Historic Period

The Prehistoric period, also known as the Stone Age, refers to the time when no written records were available. Knowledge about this period is obtained through archaeological evidence, especially the study of stone tools and weapons used by early humans. Based on the types of tools used, this age is further divided into different phases.

Prehistoric Age
Age	Palaeolithic Age	Mesolithic Age	Neolithic Age
Time Period	5,00,000- 10,000	10,000- 6,000 BCE	6,000- 1000 BCE
Other Name	Old Stone Age	Middle Stone Age	New Stone Age
Type	Lower Palaeolithic Middle Palaeolithic Upper Palaeolithic	_	_

Palaeolithic Age of the Prehistoric Period

The term “Palaeolithic” refers to the Old Stone Age of the Prehistoric Period. It derives from the Greek words “palaeos”, which means “old”, and “lithos”, which means “stone”.
In 1863, John Lubbock coined the term Palaeolithic to denote the Old Stone Age.
It is dated roughly 30,000 BCE to 10,000 BCE.
Edward Lartet has divided the Palaeolithic Age into three parts, i.e., Lower, Middle and Upper Palaeolithic Period, depending on the technology of tools used.

Types of the Palaeolithic Age

Age	Lower Palaeolithic	Middle Palaeolithic	Upper Palaeolithic
Time Span	5,00,000 -1,00,000 BCE	1,00,000 years -50,000 BCE	40,000 – 10,000 BCE
Era	Pleistocene Era	Pleistocene Era	Holocene Era (i.e., climate became warmer)
Position in the Stone Age	The earliest and longest phase	Middle Phase of the Palaeolithic age	Late phase of the Palaeolithic Period
Tool Industries	Oldowan and Acheulean tool industry	Nevasian Flake Tool Industry ( named by HD Sankalia)	Bone, ivory, flint/stone blades and antler.
Food Source	Nomadic Hunter-Gatherers lived in a Band Society	Nomadic Hunters and Gatherers lived in a Band Society	Nomadic Hunters and Gatherers lived in a Band Society
Tools Used	Hand axes, cleavers, knives, choppers	Flake Tools such as scrapers, pointers and borers	Blade and Burin Technique
Early Humans	Homo habilis, Homo erectus	Homo neanderthalensis (Neanderthals)	Homo sapiens (Modern Human)
Tool Technique	_	Levalloisian technique	Blades and Burins Technique
Key Feature	First use of stone tools	Transition towards modern human behaviour and Flake industry	Bhimbetka Paintings
Important Sites	Bhimbetka and Adamgarh in Madhya Pradesh. Paisra, Bihar Chirki-Nevasa, Maharashtra Hunsgi and Yediyapur in Karnataka Attirampakkam, Tamil Nadu	Nevasa in Maharashtra Didwana in Rajasthan Potwar Plateau between Indus and Jhelum Sanghao Cave in NWFP of Pakistan	Belan Valley (UP) Bhimbetka and Soan Valley (MP) Patne (Maharastra) Kurnool Caves (Andhra Pradesh)

PYQs

Q1.Consider the following with respect to the sites of the Palaeolithic Period:

Bhimbetka (Madhya Pradesh)
Pallavaram valley(Tamil Nadu)
Belan Valley (Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh)
Munger & Rajgir(Bihar)

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a)1 and 2 Only

(b)2 and 3 Only

(d)All of the Above

Q2-Consider the following about the Palaeolithic age.

It was the oldest phase of prehistory.
Chopper, Handaxe, and Cleaver are some of the tools in vogue during the age.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a)1 only

(b)2 only

(c)Both 1 and 2

(d)Neither 1 nor 2

Q3-Consider the following statements regarding the Palaeolithic Period:

It is a period in human prehistory distinguished by the original development of stone tools.
The economy of a typical Palaeolithic society was a hunter-gatherer economy.

Which of the statements given above is/are not correct?

(a)1 only

(b)2 only

(c)Both 1 and 2

(d)Neither 1 nor 2

Q4-With reference to the Palaeolithic period in India, consider the following statements:

It is also referred to as the Ice Age.
People of this period lived in pit dwellings and cultivated crops. Which of the above statements is/are correct?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2

Q5. Which one of the following sites is known for Upper Palaeolithic cave paintings in India?