Neolithic Age

Current Context: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) recently uncovered one of the earliest Neolithic rock‐sharpening grooves in Kanniyakumari district, Tamil Nadu—evidence of prehistoric tool maintenance.

ABOUT Neolithic Age

• Definition: The Neolithic Period (New Stone Age) is the final stage of prehistoric cultural evolution, marked by settled lifestyles, agriculture, and domestication of animals.
• Time Period :
  • Begins around 10,000 BCE (depending on region) and extends until the advent of metal use (Bronze Age).
  • Occurred during the Holocene Epoch (last 11,700 years).
• Features:
  • Polished Stone Tools: Tools shaped by grinding or polishing rather than simple chipping.
  • Agriculture & Animal Husbandry: Cultivation of crops (wheat, barley, rice, millets) and domestication of animals (goats, cattle).
  • Permanent Settlements: Villages with mud-and-reed houses (rectangular or circular).
  • Pottery & Weaving: First appearance of ceramics, woven textiles, and alcohol production.
  • Social Stratification: Status objects (elaborate pottery, carved jades) buried with the elite indicate belief in an afterlife and emerging social classes.
• Important Neolithic Sites in India:
  • Burzahom (Kashmir)—subterranean pit dwellings (around 3000 BCE).
  • Chirand (Bihar)—Neolithic settlement with early ceramics and agriculture.
  • Uttarayan (Andhra Pradesh)—Neolithic tools and habitation evidence.
  • Edakkal Caves (Kerala)—rock art panels with Neolithic petroglyphs.