Prehistoric Period in India 2025 - Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic & Iron Ages

Prehistoric Period in India 2025 - The prehistoric period refers to the time in history before the existence of written records. It covers millions of years which are divided into five distinct periods based on archaeological evidence - Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic & Iron Ages.

What is Prehistoric Period ?

• The prehistoric period refers to the time in history before the existence of written records.
• Archaeological remains found in different parts of India.
• Stone tools, pottery, artifacts & metal implements found.
• Dating methods used are:
  1. Radio - Carbon dating (loss of Carbon in organic materials)
  2. Dendro-chronology (number of tree rings in wood)

Name the different stages of prehistoric period:

Prehistoric period can be divided into different stages according to the tools used by people:

• Paleolithic Age (Old Stone Age) : 2.5 million years ago – 10,000 BC
• Mesolithic Age (Middle stone Age) : 10,000 BC – 6000 BC
• Neolithic Age (New stone Age) : 6000 BC – 4000 BC
• Chalcolithic Age (Metal Age) : 4000 BC – 500 BC
• Iron Age : 1500 BC – 200 BC

Paleolithic Age - Old Stone Age (Before 10,000 BC):

• Paleolithic Age is also called Old Stone Age
• Paleolithic age started roughly 2.5 million years ago (first evidence of tool construction and use was found) and ended approximately in 10,000 BC.
• Paleolithic sites were mostly located near water sources.
• Many rock shelters and caves used by paleolithic people are found across India.
• Old Stone age people also lived rarely in huts made of leaves.
• Food was made by hunting animals and gathering edible plants and tubers. Therefore paleolithic people are called hunter-gatherers.
• There is little knowledge available about their language and communication.
• As time passed, they improved their way of living by domesticating animals, making pots and growing plants.
• Old Stone Age paintings are found on rocks at Bhimbetka and other places.

Paleolithic sites in India:

• Soan Valley and Potwar Plateau on Northwest India
• Siwalik hills on North
• Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh
• Adamgarh hill in Narmada Valley
• Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh
• Attirampakkam near Chennai

Paleolithic Age Tools:

• Paleolithic age people used stone tools, hand-sized and flaked off large pebbles for hunting animals.
• These tools were made of hard rock known as Quartzite.
• Large pebbles were found in river terraces.
• Hunting of large animals was probably done by large group of people using large stone axes.

Mesolithic Age (Middle stone Age) : 10,000 BC – 6000 BC

• Mesolithic age was a transitional phase between Paleolithic age (Old Stone Age) and Neolithic Age (New Stone Age)
• Mesolithic period is between 10,000 BC to 6000 BC.
• Mesolithic Age is also called Microlithic Age - Microlithic means small stone "micro"-small & "lithos"-stone.
• It is called Microlithic because small stone tools were found.
• Paintings and engravings were found at rock shelters which tells us about their social life and economic activities.
• Mesolithic people started settling in an area for longer periods.
• Domestication of animals, horticulture and primitive cultivation started.
• Animal bones are found in Mesolithic sites which includes dog, deer, boar and ostrich.
• Burials of the dead along with some microliths and shells practiced.

Mesolithic sites in India:

• Langhnaj in Gujarat
• Adamgarh in Madhya Pradesh
• Tilwara, Bagor , Ganeshwar in Rajasthan
• some places of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar

Mesolithic Age Tools:

• In Mesolithic Age, a different type of stone tools are found.
• Tiny stone artifacts, often not more than five centimeters in size.
• These are called Microliths. Microlith means small stone.
• Hunting-gathering pattern of life continued during Mesolithic period.
• Shift from big animal hunting to small animal hunting and fishing.
• Use of bow and arrow also began during this period.

Neolithic Age (New stone Age) : 6000 BC – 4000 BC

• Neolithic period is between 6,000 BC to 4000 BC.
• Remarkable progress was made in human civilization in Neolithic period.
• Important changes in Neolithic period are practice of agriculture, domestication of animals, polishing of stone tools and manufacture of pottery
• Cultivation of plants and domestication of animals led to the emergence of villages.
• Wheat, barely, rice, millet were cultivated in Neolithic Age.
• Rice cultivation was extensive in eastern India.
• Domestication of sheep, goats and cattle was popular.
• Cattle were used for cultivation and for transport.
• The people of Neolithic Age used clothes made of cotton and wool.

Neolithic sites in India:

• Neolithic remains are found in various parts of India.
• Kashmir valley
• Chirand in Bihar
• Belan valley in Uttar Pradesh
• Maski, Brahmagiri, Hallur and Kodekal in Karnataka
• Paiyampalli in Tamil Nadu
• Utnur in Andhra Pradesh
• several places of the Deccan

Neolithic Age Tools:

• Great improvement in technology used for making tools and other equipments.
• Polished axes were used for hunting and cutting trees
• Wheels were used to make pottery
• Pottery was used for cooking as well as storage of food grains.
• Large urns were used as coffins for the burial of the dead

Chalcolithic Age (Metal Age) : 4000 BC - 500 BC

• Neolithic Age is followed by Chalcolithic Age (which means copper-stone). Copper and bronze were used.
• Chalcolithic period is also called Metal Age.
• Chalcolithic period is 4000 BC to 500 BC.
• New technology of smelting metal ore and crafting metal artifacts. It is an important development in human civilization.
• Farming communities settled in river valleys during Chalcolithic Age.

Chalcolithic sites in India

• Chalcolithic cultures had grown in river valleys.
• Harappan culture is considered as a part of Chalcolithic culture.
• Paiyampalli in Tamil Nadu
• River valleys of the Godavari, Krishna, Tungabhadra, Pennar and Kaveri.

Chalcolithic Age tools

• Copper and Bronze used.
• Smelting metal ore and crafting metal artifacts.
• Use of stone tools was not stopped. Microlithic tools were still used.
• Chalcolithic people began to travel for a long distance to obtain metal ores.
• Several bronze and copper objects, beads, terracotta figurines and pottery were found at Paiyampalli in Tamil Nadu.

Iron Age : 1500 BC - 200 BC

• Iron Age is the final age of metal ages.
• After Chalcolithic Age (Copper Age) and Bronze Age comes Iron Age.
• Iron Age is 1200 BC to 550 BC.

Iron Age : 1500 BC - 200 BC

• During the Iron age, people across Europe, Asia, Africa started making tools and weapons from iron and steel.
• Turkey was the first country to use iron for tools and weapons.
• People used iron to make strong tools for farming (by replacing bronze).
• Iron Age of Southern peninsula is related to Megalithic burials. Megalith means large stone.
• Burial pits were covered with large stones. Such graves are found in South India.
• Black and red pottery, iron artifacts such as hoes and sickles, small weapons were found in burial pits.
• Start of iron age led to huge change in agricultural practices and warfare (increase in war).
• Iron is frequently referred in the Vedas.