Neolithic Age marks the beginning of the life as we know it and subsequent developments over centuries has led to creation of 21st century modern man. However, the seeds of our civilisation are found in the neolithic age when humans started domestication of animals, food production and a settled life. We started making our life easier by subjugating nature to the wishes of humans.
From exam point of view, questions from this age are asked in UPSC Civil service examinations in both prelims and mains. This is also one of the most important topic for other examinations such as SSC, Bank, RBI Grade B, ACIO etc. These easy to grasp points can help you in understanding as well as remembering the features and discoveries of neolithic age in India. The topic should not be seen as something to ponder but to be looked with fascination at the kind of lives our ancestors used to live.
Neolithic Age Features:
Polished stone tools
Emergence of small and relatively self-sufficient village communities.
Division of labour based on sex.
Continued to hunt and forage for food.
Note: Earliest Village Settlements in the Indian subcontinent, 7000 to 3000 BCE.
Houses made of handmade mud-bricks with small, rectangular rooms. Mud bricks were of a standardized size with round ends and finger impressions on their upper surface.
Grinding stone found which indicate food processing.
Microliths, Hand axes, Sickles found.
Turquoise and Lapis lazuli found, showing distant exchanges.
Pottery: Wheel made and handmade.
One collective burial with two wheel made painted pots as grave goods. Pots are not found in any other burial.
Grains: Barley, Wheat, Ber, Dates, Oats and Cotton. People ate coarse grains.
Animals: Deer, Nilgai, Goat, Onager (Wild Ass), Water buffalo, Cattle, Pig and Elephant.
Art: Terracotta female figurines with a tubular body, pinched nose, joined legs, elaborate hairstyle, Heavy breast.
Burzahom, Kashmir Valley:
Mud-plastered pit dwelling found at Burzahom.
Pits were round or oval, narrower at the top and widening out towards the base.
Well-developed bone tool industry.
Pottery in grey, red, brown and buff colours.
Two engraved stones found with engraved pattern showing a hut with a thatched conical roof to the right of which is the hind portion of some sort of animal whose tail can be seen.
Cultivated Wheat, Barley and lentils.
Houses were made of mud-bricks.
Microliths, terracotta figurines of humped bull, beads, terracotta, shell and bone artefacts.
Barley was cultivated.
Domestication of cattle.
Cultivation of Rice.
Koldihwa in Allahabad, UP on the Belan river:
Rice and rice husk found.
Stone blades, polished stone celts, microliths, querns, mullers and bone tools.
Mahagra in Allahabad UP also on the Belan river:
Reed or Bamboo impressions.
Hut walls were made of wattle and daub.
Pottery, Bone arrowheads, terracotta beads and animal bones found.
Cattle Pen also found. Sheep, Goat, Horses, Deer and Wild boar animal bones found.
South India: Raichur Doab and Shorapur Doab
Sites: Utnur, Pallavoy, Kodekal and Watgal
Ash mounds found at some places.
Ash mounds are excessively burnt cow dung.
At Budihal, Community feasting and butchering floor is found.
Life of Early Farmers:
It is generally believed by experts that women were at the forefront of agriculture and pottery making. Women were gatherers in previous ages and thus they must have been the initiators of agriculture. Also as agriculture required storage so they must have started Pottery. Pottery being a complex process require more than two hands. So, probably children helped women in making pottery.