Mesolithic & Neolithic Ages PDF

2 Mesolithic & Neolithic Ages The time period between 10,000 and 4,000 B.C. in India Art: is marked as Late Stone Age, Mesolithic, or Microlithic ‰ The people of this age practiced painting. Their period....

2 Mesolithic & Neolithic Ages The time period between 10,000 and 4,000 B.C. in India Art: is marked as Late Stone Age, Mesolithic, or Microlithic ‰ The people of this age practiced painting. Their period. paintings depicted birds, animals, and human beings. Characteristics of Mesolithic Age:-- Importance of Mesolithic age ‰ The Mesolithic Age was a transitional phase between the Paleolithic Age and the Neolithic Age. 1. This period marks first human colonization in the ‰ It has the characteristics of both the Paleolithic Age Ganga plains. and the Neolithic Age. 2. New tools & new technologies were emerged ‰ The people of this age lived on hunting, fishing, and food 4. A lot of paintings are related with this Age that gathering while at a later stage they also domesticated indicates the artistic culture was evolving. animals. 5. Domestication started (1st animal domesticated The first animals to be was DOG) domesticated were: The first plants to be 6. Earliest evidence of cultivation (wheat and barley ) Dog cultivated were 7. Made pavement for Neolithic Age. Cattle Wheat Sheep Barley LIST OF INDIAN MESOLITHIC Goat SITES, THEIR LOCATIONS, AND CHARACTERISTICS This new subsistence economy based on domestication Name of Location Characteristics of animals and food production had a lasting impact on Mesolithic Sites the evolution of human society and the environment Bagor Rajasthan It had a microlithic ‰ First animal to be domesticated at this age was the industry and its wild ancestor of the dog. people lived on ‰ Sheep and goats were the most common domesticated hunting and animals at this age. pastoralism. Tools: Adamgarh Madhya It shows the earliest ‰ The people of this age used microliths. Pradesh evidence for the ‰ Microliths are very small in size and their lengths range domestication of from 1 to 8 cm. animals. ‰ Backed blade, core, point, triangle, lunate and Bhimbetka Madhya It has more than trapeze are the main Mesolithic tools. However, some tools used earlier, like scraper, burin and choppers, Pradesh 500 painted rock continue. shelters. Langhnaj Gujarat Provides the earliest evidence of burial of the dead. Mohrana Pahara M i r z a p u r , Provides the earliest Uttar Pradesh evidence of burial.  Some other important Major sites:  The people of Mehrgarh lived in mudbrick houses ‰ Chopani Mando(UP) while pit-dwelling is reported from Burzahom, the Neolithic site found in Kashmir. ‰ Birbhanpur(Bengal) 4. Pottery: ‰ Mahadaha(UP)  With the advent of Agriculture, people were required ‰ Godavari Basin to store their food grains as well as to do cooking, ‰ Sarai Nahar Rai(UP) arrange for drinking water, and eating the finished ‰ Sangankallu (KN) product. That’s why pottery first appeared in the ‰ Brahmagiri (Mysore) Neolithic Age. ‰ Narmada  The pottery of the period was classified under grey ‰ Vindhya ware, black-burnished ware, and mat-impressed ‰ Sojat (Rajasthan) ware. ‰ Sites are found in good numbers in chhotanagpur,  They domesticated cattle, sheep, and goats. central India, and south of river Krishna. 5. Tools:  The people used microlithic blades in addition to Characteristics of Neolithic Age;- tools made of polished stones. The Neolithic Age saw the man turning into food producer  They used stone hoes and digging sticks for digging from food gatherer. It also witnessed the use of pottery for the ground. the first time. People used microlithic blades in addition to  The ring stones of 1-1/2 kg of weight were fixed at tools made of polished stone. the ends of these digging sticks. The use of metal was unknown.  They also used tools and weapons made of bone; 1. Agriculture: found in Burzahom (Kashmir) and Chirand (Bihar).  The people of Neolithic Age cultivated ragi, horse 6. Architecture: gram, cotton, rice, wheat, and barley and hence were  The Neolithic Age is significant for its Megalithic termed as food producers. Architecture. 2. Weapons:  Round Wheel were discovered that was beneficial in  The people primarily used axes as weapons. agro economy. 3. Housing:  The people of Neolithic Age lived in rectangular or circular houses which were made of mud and reed. UPSC 2 P W  7. Technology:  In the initial stage of the Neolithic Age, hand-made pottery was made but later on the foot-wheels were used to make pots. 8. Community Life:  Neolithic people had common right over property.  They led a settled life.  This age also shows first intentional disposal of the dead. LIST OF NEOLITHIC SITES, THEIR LOCATIONS, AND CHARACTERISTICS Name of Neolithic Site Location Time Characteristics Span Mehrgarh Baluchistan, 7,000 B.C. Produced cotton and wheat and lived in Pakistan mud-brick houses. Burzahom (the place of Kashmir 2,700 B.C. The people lived on a lake side in pits. birch) Domestic dogs were buried along with their masters in their graves. Used tools and weapons made of polished stone as well as bone. Gufkral Kashmir 2,000 B.C. Practiced both agriculture & domestication of animals. Used tools and weapons made of polished stone as well as bone. Chirand Bihar 2,000 B.C. Used tools and weapons made of bone. Pikilihal, Brahmagiri, Karnataka 2,000 B.C. to 1,000 B.C. The people in Piklihal were Maski, Hallur, cattleherders. They domesticated Takkalakota, Narsipur, sheep, goats, and cattle. Ash mounds Kodekal, Sanganakallu have been found. Other Neolithic age sites were;- ‰ Daojali Hading (Tripura/Assam) ‰ Hallur (AP) ‰ Paiyampalli (AP) Mesolithic & Neolithic Ages P 3 W