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The Stone Age is a prehistoric period characterized by the use of stone tools, beginning around 2.5 million years ago and divided into three phases: Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic. The Palaeolithic Age features early human shelters, hunting and gathering practices, and the development of tools, while the Mesolithic Age is marked by climate changes, the use of microliths, and the beginnings of animal domestication. The Neolithic Age represents a significant cultural shift with the advent of agriculture, polished tools, and settled living, alongside advancements in art and clothing.

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19 views3 pages

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The Stone Age is a prehistoric period characterized by the use of stone tools, beginning around 2.5 million years ago and divided into three phases: Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic. The Palaeolithic Age features early human shelters, hunting and gathering practices, and the development of tools, while the Mesolithic Age is marked by climate changes, the use of microliths, and the beginnings of animal domestication. The Neolithic Age represents a significant cultural shift with the advent of agriculture, polished tools, and settled living, alongside advancements in art and clothing.

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Anshika singh
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Stone Age

The Stone age refers to the prehistoric period during which stone tools were the
most prevalent form of articles used by early man. The use of stone tools started
about 2.5 million years ago with the arrival of the early humans (‘Homo Habilis’
and Australopithecus). They were one of the earliest bipedal primates and used
tools to hunt primarily.

Stone Age is majorly divided into 3 phases

Palaeolithic Age
Mesolithic Age
Neolithic Age

Palaeolithic age (Old Stone Age) – from 2.5 million years ago to 12,000 years ago.
Based on stone tools used by humans and changes in climate

Features of Palaeolithic age –


1. Shelter: Humans lived in open or in caves.
2. Hunting and Gathering: They hunted wild animals for meat and gathered
food from plants.
3. Tools: Unpolished tools made of stone, wood and bone.

Classification of the Palaeolithic Age


1. Lower Palaeolithic Age: It dates from dating 2,500,000 to 300,000 years
ago. We see the following developments in this age.
• Tools used – Tools were rough and heavy. Tools-Hand axes, Cleavers and
choppers.
• Communication – Advent of verbal and non-verbal communication. Humans
were now capable of making a small number of animal-like sounds.
• Major sites include – Didwana(Rajasthan), Bhimbetka(M.P), Belan
valley(UP), Soan river valley(Punjab)
•
• Middle Palaeolithic Age: It dates from 300,000 to 30,000 years ago.
• The Flake tool industry sets this age apart from the lower Palaeolithic
age. These tools were smaller, lighter and thinner, for example, blades, pointers,
scrapers and borers.
• Technology – People learned fire.
• Food- They started to cook food before eating due to the invention of
fire. This enabled a greater consumption of calories to satisfy the needs of a
larger brain.
• Homo Sapiens and Homo Neanderthalensis appeared in the Middle
Palaeolithic age.
• Major sites in India- Luni valley (Rajasthan), Potwar Plateau (between
Indus & Jhelum), Bhimbetka (M.P), Tungabhadra river valley, Chirki-
Nevasa(Maharastra)
•
• Upper PalaeolithicAge: It dates from 30,000 years ago to 12,000 years
ago.
• It coincided with the last phase of the last ice age; therefore, the
climate became comparatively warmer and less humid.
• Communication – Spoken language could develop in the Upper Paleolithic
age due to the larger brain and an improved vocal cord.
• Tools used – We see several innovations in bone tools. More
sophisticated and distinct tools were used, such as projectile points, engraving
tools, knife blades, drilling and piercing tools, bone tools, needles, harpoons,
parallel-sided blades, fishing tools and burin (a handheld tool used for
engraving).
• Art – We see a large number of wall paintings with human figurines.
With this, Magic and religion entered human life.
• Major sites in India- Bhimbhetka, Belan, Chota Nagpur plateau (Bihar),
Renigunta in Chittoor and Kurnool, Muchchatla Chintamani Gavi in Andhra Pradesh and
Imamgaon in Maharashtra.

Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) – dating from the Last glacial maximum till the final
period of hunter-gatherer culture

Mesolithic’ comes from two Greek words, ‘mesos’ and ‘lithos’, meaning middle and
stone, respectively. It starts from the Last glacial maximum till the final period
of hunter-gatherer culture.
Features of the Mesolithic age
• In the Holocene era, there was an abrupt rise in temperature, which
resulted in changes in flora and fauna. This led to various changes in human
settlements, marking the Mesolithic age.
• Tools – The use of microlithswas prevalent in the Mesolithic age. These
are miniature stone tools, usually made of crypto-crystalline silica, chalcedony or
chert, both geometrical and non-geometrical shapes.
• Food – The Mesolithic age ended with the starting of the cultivation of
plants and the domestication of animals. The first animal domesticated was an
ancestral dog.
• Shelters and clothing – They lived in semi-permanent homes such as
caves and started to wear animal skin as clothes..
• Religion – The burial practices indicate a belief in the afterlife, as
the dead were often buried with some food items and other goods.
• Art – Cave painting in this age is a widespread phenomenon. There is
some evidence of the use of pottery tool
• Important sites in India- Adamgarh(M.P) and Bagor in Rajasthan –
earliest domestication of animals. Bhimbetka caves (Madhya Pradesh), Kharwar, Jaora
and Kathotia (M.P), Sundargarh and Sambalpur (Odisha), Ezhuthu Guha (Kerala).
Langhnaj (Gujarat), Sarai-Nahar-Rai (Pratapgarh U.P), Paisara(Munger Bihar).

Neolithic (New Stone Age) – dating12,000 years ago to around 6,500 years ag

Neolithic’ comes from two Greek words, neos and lithos, meaning new and stone,
respectively. It dates from 12,000 years ago to around 6,500 years ago. This age
also coincided with the Holocene era. This age marks a profound change in the
culture and behaviour of humans, such as humans starting to produce food.
Features of Neolithic age: –
• Tools – polished or ground stone tools replaced the flaked tools. We
find microlith-blades, polished stones, and weapons made of bones – such as
needles, scrapers, borers, and arrowheads.
• Food – People started cultivating lands. They grew fruits and
domesticated cattle, goats and sheep.
• Art – A larger variety of scenes were depicted in cave paintings.
• Shelter – People started a settled life. We find evidence of
rectangular or circular houses.
• Clothing – Clothes were made of animal skin; in later stages, wool
might have been used.
• Important Neolithic sites in India –

Sites Region Features


Koldihwa and Mahagara South of Allahabad Evidence of circular huts; evidence
of rice;
Mehrgarh Balochistan Houses built of sun-dried bricks and crops like cotton and
wheat;
Burzahom Kashmir Graves of people with their domesticated dogs; People lived
in pits;
Gufkral Kashmir Pit dwelling
Chirand North of Patna A continuous settlement from the Neolithic age to the
Iron age.
Piklihal, Brahmagiri, Maski, Takkalakota, Hallur Karnataka Domestication of
sheep and goats; we also find Ash mounds;
Belan Valley Mirzapur Cave Paintings in the hills of Vindhya Range

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