The prehistoric period in India spans from the emergence of the earliest stone tools hundreds of thousands of years ago to the beginning of the Bronze Age. Since no written records exist from this era, our knowledge is based entirely on archaeological excavations of stone tools, pottery, and cave paintings.
Timeline: c. 500,000 BCE – 10,000 BCE
The Palaeolithic age is characterized by the use of hand-axes, choppers, and flakes. It is subdivided based on the evolution of tools and climate changes.
Lower Palaeolithic: Focused on large hand-axes and cleavers. Key sites include Soan Valley and Belan Valley.
Middle Palaeolithic: Shift toward smaller tools made of flakes such as borers and scrapers.
Upper Palaeolithic: Emergence of Homo sapiens and use of bone tools and needles.
Key Site: Bhimbetka – famous for rock shelters and early art.
Timeline: c. 10,000 BCE – 6,000 BCE
This was a transitional phase marked by a warmer climate and ecological changes.
Microliths: Tiny tools used for arrows and composite tools.
Lifestyle: Shift from hunting to semi-settled life with early domestication.
Burials: Evidence of belief in afterlife through burial practices.
Timeline: c. 6,000 BCE – 1,000 BCE
This period is known as the Neolithic Revolution, marking the shift to agriculture.
Agriculture: Cultivation of wheat and barley begins.
Polished Tools: Tools became smoother and more efficient.
Settled Life: Humans began living in villages.
Pottery: Wheel-based pottery production started.
| Site | Location | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Mehrgarh | Baluchistan | Earliest farming |
| Burzahom | Kashmir | Pit dwellings |
| Chirand | Bihar | Bone tools |
| Piklihal | Karnataka | Ash mounds |
Timeline: c. 2100 BCE – 700 BCE
This period saw the use of copper along with stone tools.
Economy: Based on agriculture and animal rearing.
Rural Nature: Settlements were mostly rural.
Major Cultures: Ahar-Banas, Kayatha, Jorwe.
Timeline: c. 1000 BCE onwards
Iron tools enabled forest clearing and agricultural expansion.
Megaliths: Large burial structures found in South India.
Burials: Pit, cist, and urn burials with iron tools.