Introduction : In the evolution of mankind, paleolithic (old stone) age played a very great role. Here, humans began to make some sort of rough and primitive tools which helped them to some extent to defend themselves from the wild animals and started establishing their supremacy. We can study the history on the basis of the crude implements they used. This is also known as pre-historic era. India was one of the earliest homes of humans. Scholars are of the opinion that the Indian people belonged to an admixtured race of Negroes, Mongoloids, Alpines, Dravidians etc. The pre-historic period is classified into 4 main stages, based on the stone implements and metals used by them. They are (i) Paleolithic age, (ii) Mesolithic age, (iii) Neolithic age, (iv)Age of metals (Copper, Bronze andiron).
1) Paleolithic period (age) 40,000 to 10,000 BCE : The word paleolithic is derived from the ‘Greek’ words ‘Paleo’ (old) and ‘lithic’ (stone), which means old stone age. People used rough and undressed stones fitted to a stick. As they used a very hard stone called ‘quartzite’, they were also known as ‘quartzite men’. They had no idea of the use of lire, pottery and agriculture. Hence, the earlist period of civilization came to be known as the paleolithic age. They were mostly hunters and not cultivators. The important sites of the paleolithie period in India are the Narmada and Tiingabhadra valleys, Ghataprabha river basin, Bhopal and Chota Nagpur area of M.P., Tanjavur, Tirunelveli and Arcot in T.N., Kurnool, Nellore, Guntur and Krishna in A.P. and the Belan caves of Uttar Pradesh.
2) Mesolithic age (Middle stone age -10,000 to &000 BCE): The word ‘mesolithic’ is derived from the greek words ‘meso’ (middle) and ‘lithic’ (stone), which means middle stone age. This was the intervening period between paleolithic and neolithic ages. Humans used implements made of stone, though bone was also used. They were still hunting only for food and had no knowledge of agriculture. They must have also consumed forest produce and also knew the use of fire and buried their dead. The important mesolithic sites in India are found at Ajmer in Rajasthan, Sabarmati basin in Gujarat, Ahmadnagar in Maharashtra, Sanganakallu and Brahmagiri in Karnataka.
3) Neolithic age (New stone age – 8000 to 4000 BCE): The word neolithic is derived from the greek words ‘neo’ (New) and lithic (stone), which means new stone age. During this period, humans used stones along with quartzite, learnt cultivation and domesticated a variety of animals like cow, sheep, goat etc. They lived in caves and weaving was also known to them. They used wool and cotton to manufacture cloth. The most important invention of this period was the wheel. They subsisted on vegetables, roots, fruits, nuts, wild pulses, cereals, flesh of animals, fish and milk products including curd, butter and ghee. They also used ornaments like beads, rings, bangles and armlets. The neolithic people arc believed to have worshipped their ancestors and spirits and performed a large number of rites and rituals on the occasions of death. They cremated their dead and preserved the ashes. They performed human and animal sacrifices. Many human skulls have been found during excavations. The important neolithic sites in India are foundin the Cauvery basin at Bellary and Raichur in Karnataka, Salem and Tirunelveli in T.N., Kurnool and Hyderabad in A.R, Kathewar in Gujarat, West Bengal, Orissa etc.
4) Metal age (Copper, Bronze and Iron): The process of transition from stone age to metal age was a very slow process. Metallic and stone implements were both used, but there was no uniformity regarding the use of metals in the different parts of India. Copper replaced stone in nor then India, whereas in south India, new stone age was succeeded by the Iron Age.
Gold was the earliest metal to be used for only ornaments. Copper was used to prepare implements like swords, axes, spear, daggers, spearheads etc. The implements were used for agriculture, fighting, fishing and hunting. Iron was extensively used in South India for the same purpose.
Conclusion: We can find that the people of this age took a leap forward in the direction of spread of human culture and civilization. Discovery of fire by the people of the later stone age, that of agriculture by the new stone age and the art of writing by the metal age people took a real step forward in the advancement of the human race.
