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Eternal India
encyclopedia
ARCHAEOLOGY
Two periods in the paintings in rock-shelters can be distin-
guished : (1) hunting scenes and trapping of animals and their
movements form the subject matter of early paintings. (2) The
later paintings of the historical period in the same rock-shelters
depict processions of men riding horses and elephants, battle
scenes and use of bows, arrows and spears. During this period the
men and animals are stylized. The paintings of the Early (Meso-
lithic) period are executed in red and white colours and occasionally
in green and yellow also. The animals represented are the ele-
phant, rhino, tiger, Indian bison and gaur which have disappeared
from the region now. Others like cattle, antelope and black buck do
survive. The tools of the Mesolithic people were of stone and bone.
Composite tools made of geometric and non-geometric microliths
were in use. Lunates, trapezes and triangles are the major types in
geometric tools. In Birbhanpur
crescents made on flakes are no-
ticeable. The Teri industry of
Thirunnevelly District associated
with discoid scrapers has an ear-
lier origin. The Bagor geometric
microliths survived long enough
and the users must have come in
contact with the Harappan settlers
as is evident from the presence of a
copper awl and arrow head and a
barbed stove arrowhead compa-
rable to similar ones in copper in
Harappan sites. At Langhnaj a
copper knife suggests contact with
settled
agricultural
communities
using copper. Bhimbhetaka has
yielded Malwa painted pottery of
chalcolithic period while at Lekha-
nia iron arrowhead and plain ce-
ramic ware are found.
Date
Bhimbhetaka is the earliest
Mesolithic site datable to 7790±
220 B.P. by 14C dating method.
Bagor Phase I is dated 6430±200
B.P. Phase II of Bagor is dated
4700 ±105 B.P. and the upper level
of Bhimbhetaka is assignable to
3000 to 2000 BP. The beginning of
Mesolithic in India is assignable to
8000 B.P. and the end to 2000 B.P.
by which time the use of stone
tools was discarded although hunt-
ing and food-gathering continue
even today in some remote areas.
CHALCOLITHIC AND NEOLITHIC SITES OF INDIA
CHALCOLITHIC SITES
1.
Indus system — 1. Mohenjodaro; 2. Harappa; 3. Rupar; 4. Suratgarh: 5. Hanumangarh; 6. Chanhudaro; 7. Jhukar;
8. Amri; 9. Jhangar; II Ganges System — I. Kausambi; 2. Alamgirpur; III Brahmputra System; IV Mahanadi
System; V Chambal System — 1. Pseva; 2. Nagda; 3. Paramar-Kheri; 4. Tungni; 5. Metwa; 6. Takraoda; 7. Bhilsuri;
8. Maori; 9. Ghata-Bilod; 10. Betwa; 11. Bilawali; 12. Ashta; VI Rajputana-Saurashtra — 1. Rangpur; 2. Ahar;
3. Prabhas Patan; 4. Lakhabawal; 5. Lothal; 6. Pithadia; 7. Rojdi; 8. Adkot; VII Narbada System -- 1. Navdatoli;
2.
Maheshwar; 3. Bhagatrav; 4. Telod; 5. Mehgam; 6. Hasanpur; VIII Tapi System — 1. Prakashe; 2. Bahai; IX
Godavari-Pravara System — 1. Jorwe; 2. Nasik; 3. Kopargaon; 4. Nevasa; 5. Daimabad; X Bhima System — 1.
Koregaon; 2. Chandoli; 3. Umbraj; 4. Chanegaon; 5. Anachi: 6. Hingni; 7. Nagarhalli; XI Karnatak — 1. Brahmgiri;
2. Piklihal; 3. Maski.
Fig : 6 -- Chalcolithic and Neolithic sites of India
Neolithic Culture
The Neolithic culture is noted
for the use of new stone tools es-
pecially polished stone axes/jbut
what is more important is the
emergence of permanent agricul-
tural settlements, domestication of
animals and cultivation of cereals
and legumes. Among palaeobiotic
factors Neolithic man’s exploita-
tion of animal leading to domesti-
cation is traced through random
predation, controlled predation,