I.

Ancient History of India

Stone Age pieces of evidence of domestication of animals in India have
been found at Adamgarh (Hoshangabad, M.P.) and Bagor
*The period without a documented evidence of its history (Bhilwara, Rajasthan). *A large number of implements made
is called Prehistoric period. Proto-historic period is the of bones and horns have been found from the Mesolithic site,
period having shreds of evidence of a script which is still Mahadaha (located in Pratapgarh district of U.P.). The book
not deciphered. Proto-historic refers to the period between entitled 'Puratattva Vimarsh' written by Dr. Jai Narayan Pandey
prehistoric and historical period. *The time after which we get describes various pointed objects and ornaments made of bones
documented description is called historic period. *Stone Age which have been reported from Sarai Nahar Rai, Damdama
comes under the Prehistoric period. *Indus valley civilization and Mahadaha. *Damdama is a Mesolithic site in Pratapgarh
and Copper Age culture comes under the protohistoric period. district of Uttar Pradesh. In Damdama, 41 human graves
*The historical period starts from Vedic Culture. *In India, the have been found. Out of these graves, 5 are double burial.
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research on Stone Age Civilization started at first in 1863. The One triple burial grave is also found here. A grave with four
whole Stone Age has been categorized into three parts on the human skeletons has been found at Sarai Nahar Rai.
basis of difference of tools used. These are Palaeolithic period, *The Megaliths usually refer to the burials made up of large
Mesolithic period and Neolithic period. stones in graveyards away from the habitation area. A large
*Paleolithic Period is further categorized into three periods on fraction of these is assumed to be associated with burial or
the same basis- post-burial rituals including memorials for those whose remains
(i) The Lower Palaeolithic period -Handaxe, Cleaver, may or may not be available. Some of these are; Chamber tomb,
Chopper, etc. Dolmens, Stone alignment, Stone circle (cromlech), Pit-circles, etc.
(ii) The Middle Palaeolithic period- Points, Borer, Scrapper *According to 'Puratatva Vimarsh' by J.N. Pandey 17 human
(iii) The Upper Paleolithic period - Burins skeletons were found from rock shelter 1 of Lekhahiya in
*Chopper-chopping pebble pieces of tools were at first obtained the Vindhya region. Some of these were in relatively pristine
from Sohan river valley of Punjab (Pakistan). At first, hand- condition while most of the others were warped. *According to
axe pieces of equipment were found in Vadamadurai and John R. Lucas of Oregon University, the USA, remnants of 27
Attirapakkam near Madras. Other tools of this culture are human skeletons were found in Lekhahiya. *The rock shelters
cleaver, scraper, etc. *Robert Bruce Foote was a British of Bhimbetka are located 45 km west of Bhopal. UNESCO
geologist and Archeologist. *The expedition of L. Cambridge has included the shell pictures of Bhimbetka in the list of its
team under the leadership of D. Tera did the most important world heritage. These caves exhibit the earliest traces of human
research in Sohan valley in 1935. *In Belan valley, the research life on the Indian subcontinent and include the pictures of an
was carried under the direction of G.R. Sharma of Allahabad elephant, sambhar, deer, etc.
University. Nearly 44 archaeological sites were found in this *Grains were first ever produced in Neolithic Age. It was the
valley which is related to the lower Paleolithic period. *Apart time when people were introduced to agriculture. Koldihwa and
from tools, the statue of bone-made Mother Goddess of this Mehrgarh were the two Neolithic villages from where clear
age was obtained from Lohanda Nala region of Belan Valley pieces evidence of rice and wheat have been found. *There
which is currently preserved at the Kaushambi museum. are mainly eight types of food grains consumed by modern
*The life of Palaeolithic people was completely natural. They human society, namely barley, wheat, maize, millet, sorghum,
were primarily dependent on hunting. They were unfamiliar mustard, oat and rice. These crops were present in the form of
with fire, so they ate raw meat. Paleolithic people were weed in different areas, which were later grown as seed by a
unfamiliar with farming and animal husbandry. *We human being at different places, at different times. Barley was
came to know about Mesolithic period only after C.L. Carlyle the first grain to be cultivated by human beings during 8000
discovered (1867-68) the Rock Painting from Vindhya region. BC in western Asian countries located between the northeast
*According to the excavated evidence, the domestication Mediterranean Sea and Iran. Later, in the same area, wheat
of animals began in the Mesolithic period. The earliest was also cultivated around 8000 BC. *Rice was the third grain

Indian History General Studies B–9

 to be cultivated by human beings in approx 7000 BC at the Age. *Settlements of Chalcolithic period in India were found
Yangtze River in China. *Maize was cultivated in Central and in South-East Rajasthan, Western Madhya Pradesh, western
South America during 6000 BC. The first evidence of maize Maharastra and South-East India. *Navdatoli has revealed
was found in Mexico, *millet in 5500 BC in China, sorghum excellent evidence of both round and rectangular residential
in 5000 BC in East Africa, Mustard in 5000 BC in South-East structures which are located near Indore. The former measures
Asia and Oat in 2300 BC in Europe. *According to the latest about 3m in diameter and the later is 2m × 2.2m. *The roofs
research, the earliest evidence of agriculture in Indian sub- were probably made of hay, tree branches and leaves and were
continent was reported from the Lahuradewa site in Sant supported on massive wooden posts, 22cm in diameter, raised
at regular intervals around the huts. *The open spaces between
Kabir Nagar district, Uttar Pradesh. The evidence of human
the posts were provided with mud-plastered bamboo screens.
activity and beginning of rice cultivation at this site dated back
*The house floors were made up of silt clay and river gravel,
to around 9000-7000 BC. *Significantly before this research,
with the surface coated with lime. The huts were provided with
the earlier evidence of wheat was found at Mehrgarh (located
one or two-mouthed ‘chulhas’ as well as storage jars and other
in Balochistan, Pakistan) belonging to around 7000 BC and the
earthen vessels.
earliest evidence of rice is known to be near the bank of the
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*Ochre-Coloured Pottery (known to archaeologists as OCP)

river Belan, district Allahabad, from where rice bran was found
as the name implies, its main distinguishing feature was its
dating back to 6500 BC. *The cultural remains from Stone Age
ochre colour. Other characteristics are its porous character and
to Harappan Civilization have been found in Mehrgarh located
the fact that it is invariably worn out at the edges. Most of its
in Balochistan (Pakistan).
evidence is mainly found from Atranjikhera and Hastinapur.
*The Burzahom site is a prehistoric settlement in the village *The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), under the Ministry
of the same name in Kashmir valley. Both human and animal of Culture, is a premier organization for the archaeological
skeletons were found here with trepanning (bored holes) marks. researches and protection of the cultural heritage of the
In many pits, bones of dogs and antlered deer were found along nation. In 1871, the Archaeological Survey was established
with human skeletons. The skeletons of humans were found in as a separate department, and Alexander Cunningham was
the burial pits in a sitting position along with bones of animals. appointed as its first Director-General. In 1901, during the
*The first excavation at the Burzahom site was carried out by tenure of Lord Curzon, it was centralized as Archaeological
Helmut de Terra and Dr. Thomas Paterson in the year 1935. Survey of India and John Marshall was appointed in 1902 as
*The people of Jorwe culture lived in large rectangular houses its first Director-General. *National Human Museum, which
with wattle and daub walls and thatched roof. They believed was renamed as Indira Gandhi National Human Museum
in life after death and therefore buried the dead inside the is located in Bhopal (M.P.). It is an autonomous organization
houses under the floor. Children were buried in two urns that under the Department of Culture.
were joined mouth-to-mouth and set horizontally in the pit,
1. Robert Bruce Foote, who discovered first Palaeolithic
while adults were placed in a supine position with the head
tool in India, was a/an –
towards the north (north to south). These sites were found in
(a) Geologist (b) Archaeologist
Daimabad, Inamgaon, Chandauli, Nevasa etc. *The ‘Ash
(c) Paleobotanist (d) Historian
mounds’ have been found from a Neolithic site Sangana Kallu
U.P. Lower Sub. (Pre) 2015
located in Vellari district near Mysore in Karnataka. They
Ans. (a & b)
have also been found in Piklihal and Utnur. These ash mounds
are the burnt relics of seasonal camps of Neolithic herdsmen According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, Robert Bruce Foote
community. was a British geologist and archaeologist. He is considered
as the father of Indian pre-history. He was associated with
*Fire was first used as in the Neolithic period.
the Geological Survey and documented the antiquities of the
*Copper was the first metal used. Copper Age is also known
as the Chalcolithic age. The age in which instruments of stone age. Hence, both options (a) and (b) can be considered
copper were used in addition to stone is called as Copper as correct.

B–10 General Studies Indian History