Prehistoric Cultures - Mesolithic Age
1000 BC - 4000 BC (roughly); (Meso - Middle)
- The second stage of Stone Age. The emergence of Homo sapiens. There is no dearth of sites in India belonging to Mesolithic age. Important Mesolithic sites are
· Birbanpur, Damodar valley, West Bengal.
· Langhnag, Sabarmati valley, Gujarat
· Adarrigarh, Madhya Pradesh
· Bhiribetka, Madhya Pradesh
· Bagor, Rajasthan
· Chopanirnando, Belan valley, Uttar Pradesh
· Sarai Nahar Rai, Belau valley, Uttar Pradesh
· Nagarjuna Konda, Andhra Pradesh
· Jalalahalli, Karnataka(near Bangalore)
· Mayorbanch, Orissa
- End of Pleistocene Age and beginning of next geographical age called Holocene Age. Global warming started and the temperature of earth began to rise melting the ice blankets thus forming rivers and seas. So humans Were not forced to endure extreme hostile conditions and he was not left to the mercy of nature.
- Climate has become conducive to the growth of flora and fauna resources. He was living a semi-nomadic life. Evolution of human beings into full-fledged homo sapiens occurred during this stage. During the later phase of this period, human started to domesticate various animals. Domestication was, not done in full scale and done at only a few places.
- Moreover, this was not substituted for hunting but only, a supplementary. Hunting was still a primary source of food. Pottery was invented and this brought a revolution inhabitation methods. He started to live in artificially constructed houses.
- Tools used by these people are known as microliths (1 cm - 8 cm) or pigmy tools. Tools making, tradition has changed and new technology has evolved. Tools were made of small stones instead of heavy stones, unlike his ancestors. These tools were hafted into a wooden stick and used as spears etc.
- Hand-made pottery was found at Chopanimando, these people were first to use pottery in the world.
- Prehistoric art was found at Blaimbetka. This place is a World Heritage Centre, UNESCO.
- Skeletons of animals were found at Azamgarh and Bagor. People of this place were considered as first people to domesticate in India.
- Evidence of earliest built houses in India was reported from Sarai Nahar Rai.
- Skeletons found at various sites have marks and scratches caused by microlith attack. This suggests that during this period there exists some sort of intergroup conflicts. General hypothesis may be for cattle-lifting, fishing, grounds etc.
