History · X-Factor Notes
Stone Age revision notes for UPPCS Prelims.
31 revision facts
| Concept | What to remember | Asked in UPPCS |
|---|---|---|
| Prehistoric period | The period without documented evidence of its history. The Stone Age falls under this period. | |
| Proto-historic period | The period having evidence of a script which is still not deciphered. Examples include the Indus Valley civilization and Copper Age culture. | |
| Historic period | The time after which we get a documented description, starting from around the 6th century B.C.. | |
| Stone Age Categories | Categorized into three parts based on the difference of tools used: Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic periods. | |
| Three-age system (Stone, Bronze, Iron) | Coined by Christian Jurgensen Thomsen. | U.P. P.C.S. (Pre) 2010 |
| Concept | What to remember | Asked in UPPCS |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Palaeolithic tools | Handaxe, Cleaver, Chopper, etc.. | |
| Middle Palaeolithic tools | Points, Borer, Scrapper. | |
| Upper Palaeolithic tools | Burins. | |
| Tool discovery locations | Chopper-Chopping pebble pieces were first found from the Sohan river valley of Punjab (Pakistan). Hand-axe pieces were first found in Pallavaram and Attirampakkam near Chennai (Tamil Nadu). | |
| Palaeolithic life | Completely natural, primarily dependent on hunting. They were unfamiliar with fire and ate raw meat. They were unfamiliar with farming and animal husbandry. | |
| Belan Valley Research | Research was conducted under the direction of G.R. Sharma of Allahabad University. Nearly 44 archaeological sites related to the Lower Palaeolithic period were found in this valley. | |
| Key Finding (Belan Valley) | A statue of a bone-made Mother Goddess was obtained from the Lohanda Nala region of Belan Valley. | |
| Migration Theory | Stone age people of the Vindhyas migrated to the Ganga Valley in the terminal Pleistocene period because the Vindhyan Valley had become dry due to climatic change. | U.P.R.O./A.R.O. (Mains) 2016 |
| Concept | What to remember | Asked in UPPCS |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery | Known after A.C.L. Carlleyle discovered Rock Painting from the Vindhya region (1867 A.D.). | |
| Domestication of animals | Began in the Mesolithic period. | U.P. P.C.S. (Pre) 2004 |
| Evidence of domestication (India) | Found at Adamgarh (M.P.) and Bagor (Rajasthan). | UPPCS (Pre) 2018 |
| Bone ornaments/implements | Found from the Mesolithic sites Mahadaha (U.P.) and Sarai Nahar Rai. | U.P.R.O./A.R.O. (Mains) 2013 |
| Burial sites (U.P.) | Damdama (Pratapgarh, U.P.) yielded 41 human graves, including 5 double burials and one triple burial. A grave with four human skeletons was found at Sarai Nahar Rai. |
| Concept | What to remember | Asked in UPPCS |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | Grains were first ever produced in the Neolithic Age, marking the introduction of agriculture. | |
| Earliest evidence of agriculture (India) | Latest research points to Lahuradewa site (Sant Kabir Nagar district, U.P.), with evidence of beginning of rice cultivation dating back to around 9000-7000 BC. | |
| Earlier evidence of rice | Known to be near the bank of the river Belan (Prayagraj, formerly district Allahabad), dating back to 6500 BC. | |
| Earlier evidence of wheat | Found at Mehrgarh (Pakistan), dating back to around 7000 BC. | |
| Use of Fire | Fire was first used in the Neolithic period. | |
| Burzahom findings | Both human and animal skeletons were found here (Kashmir site). Human skeletons were found in burial pits in a sitting position along with bones of animals. | |
| Ash mounds | Found at Neolithic sites like Sangana Kallu (Karnataka). These are burnt relics of seasonal camps of Neolithic herdsmen community. |
| Concept | What to remember | Asked in UPPCS |
|---|---|---|
| Nomenclature | Also known as the Copper Age. | UPPCS (Mains) 2008 |
| Materials used | Instruments of copper were used in addition to stone. Copper was the first metal used. | |
| Site features | Inamgaon, located in Pune district, Maharashtra, is an extensively excavated Chalcolithic site. | I.A.S. (Pre) 2024 |
| Concept | What to remember | Asked in UPPCS |
|---|---|---|
| Cultural Sequence Site | Mehrgarh (Balochistan, Pakistan) has cultural remains spanning from the Stone Age to the Harappan Civilization. | UPPCS (Pre) 2004 |
| Archaeologists | Robert Bruce Foote was a British geologist and archaeologist. Alexander Rea, A. H. Longhurst, Robert Sewell, James Burgess, and Walter Elliot were associated with archaeological excavations. | I.A.S. (Pre) 2023 |
| ASI Administration | The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is under the Ministry of Culture. | UPPCS (Pre) 2017 |
