Prehistoric Period in India – SSC CGL Study Material
Introduction
The Prehistoric Period refers to the time before written records were available. It is divided into different phases based on human development, tool usage, and lifestyle. The major divisions are:
- Palaeolithic Age (Old Stone Age)
- Mesolithic Age (Middle Stone Age)
- Neolithic Age (New Stone Age)
- Chalcolithic Age (Copper-Stone Age)
Each of these periods marks significant advancements in human evolution, tool-making, food production, and settlement patterns.
1. Palaeolithic Age (Old Stone Age) (Up to 10,000 BCE)
Key Features
✅ Early humans were hunter-gatherers and lived in caves or rock shelters.
✅ Stone tools such as hand axes and cleavers were used.
✅ Tools were made using hard rock like quartzite (Acheulian Culture).
✅ Early evidence of fire usage.
Important Sites
📌 Bhimbetka (Madhya Pradesh) – Rock shelters with prehistoric paintings.
📌 Narmada Valley – Fossil evidence of early humans.
📌 Hunsgi (Karnataka) – Lower Palaeolithic tools discovered.
2. Mesolithic Age (Middle Stone Age) (10,000 BCE – 8000 BCE)
Key Features
✅ Transition period between hunting and agriculture.
✅ Use of microlithic tools (small, sharp stone tools).
✅ Domestication of animals (dogs were first domesticated).
✅ Early rock art and cave paintings.
Important Sites
📌 Bhimbetka (Madhya Pradesh) – Cave paintings depicting hunting scenes.
📌 Bagor (Rajasthan) – Evidence of early animal domestication.
3. Neolithic Age (New Stone Age) (8000 BCE – 2000 BCE)
Key Features
✅ Humans shifted from hunting-gathering to agriculture.
✅ Domestication of animals like cows, goats, and sheep.
✅ Use of polished stone tools and pottery.
✅ Settled life and village culture emerged.
Important Sites
📌 Mehrgarh (Pakistan) – One of the earliest sites showing evidence of agriculture.
📌 Burzahom (Kashmir) – Pit dwellings and evidence of early domestication.
📌 Koldihwa (Uttar Pradesh) – Early rice cultivation.
4. Chalcolithic Age (Copper-Stone Age) (2500 BCE – 700 BCE)
Key Features
✅ First use of metal (Copper) along with stone tools.
✅ Pottery became advanced (Black and Red Ware).
✅ Early village settlements developed.
Important Sites
📌 Inamgaon (Maharashtra) – A major Chalcolithic settlement.
📌 Ahar (Rajasthan) – Early copper smelting evidence.
Conclusion
The Prehistoric Period laid the foundation for later civilizations like the Indus Valley Civilization. The shift from nomadic life to agriculture, tool-making, and village settlements played a crucial role in human evolution.
For SSC CGL aspirants, understanding this period is essential for History & General Awareness sections, especially for questions related to archaeological sites, prehistoric tools, and early human activities.