Overview
This lecture covers the classification of the Stone Age, focusing on the climate, human habitats, food sources, and tools during the Lower Paleolithic period.
Classification of the Stone Age
- The Stone Age is part of the prehistoric period when humans used stone tools.
- The Stone Age is divided into Paleolithic (Old Stone Age), Mesolithic (Late Stone Age), and Neolithic (New Stone Age).
- "Lithic" means stone; "Paleo" means old.
- The Paleolithic period is further divided into Lower, Middle, and Upper Paleolithic ages.
- The Paleolithic Age began about 3.5 million years ago and ended around 10,000 years ago (8,000 BC).
- Lower Paleolithic: 3.5 million to 100,000 years ago; Middle Paleolithic: until 40,000 years ago; Mesolithic: 8,000–4,000 BC.
Climate and Human Habitats in the Paleolithic Period
- The Paleolithic period coincided with the Pleistocene or Ice Age, featuring cold and dry climate.
- Humans lacked knowledge of house building and lived in caves and rock shelters, especially during extreme cold.
- Major sites with Paleolithic settlements include the Belen River valley (UP), Soan River valley (Pakistan), Thar Desert, Kashmir, Mewar, Saurashtra, Gujarat, Central India, Deccan Plateau, Chhota Nagpur Plateau, and areas north of the Kaveri River.
- Bhimbetka caves were a major attraction due to shelter, nearby forests, and water sources.
- Caves offered not only habitation but also easy access to raw materials for tool-making.
Food and Tools in the Lower Paleolithic
- Early humans had no knowledge of agriculture; hunting was the main food source.
- Tools were made from stone, specifically quartzite, and were unpolished, rough, and undressed.
- Stone tool-making involved breaking stones to create a "core" (the main piece) and "flakes" (smaller fragments).
- Main Lower Paleolithic core tools included hand axes, cleavers, and pebble tools.
- These tools showed similarities across India, Western Asia, Europe, and Africa.
- Hand axes were triangular and somewhat pointed; cleavers were flat, often rectangular or triangular, with one straight, sharpened side.
- Both hand axes and cleavers were only moderately sharp by modern standards.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Stone Age — Prehistoric period characterized by the use of stone tools.
- Paleolithic — Old Stone Age; earliest phase of the Stone Age.
- Mesolithic — Middle/Late Stone Age; transitional era.
- Neolithic — New Stone Age; period of advanced stone tool use and early farming.
- Lithic — Related to stone.
- Homo erectus — Early upright-walking human species.
- Homo sapiens — Modern humans.
- Pleistocene — Geological epoch, also known as the Ice Age.
- Quartzite — Hard metamorphic rock used for making tools.
- Core tool — Main piece of stone shaped for use.
- Flake — Smaller fragment chipped off from the core.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review the Paleolithic section in RS Sharma NCERT Class 11 and relevant chapters of Upinder Singh's history book.
- Explore more about tool-making techniques and major Paleolithic sites in India.