History of India- A Saga Part-3

Neolithic Age: The Exterme Development 

    Neolithic age or the New Stone Age context worldwide around 9000 B.C. IN this age technology remarkably progress, people developed the art of cultivation, domestication of animals, pot-making, weaving, house building, writing. But the process start in India tardily than western Asia. It has began in India around 5000 B.C. However, the era consist between 9000 B.C. to 3000 B.C. Mehrgarh in Pakistan is the only settlement in Indian Subcontinent.[Indian Subcontinent includes seven countries- Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka]

The people of this age particularly used stone axes and 'Polished' stone tools. Based on axes used researchers divided the neolithic sites of India in three types- north-western, north-eastern and southern.The north-western sites represents rectangular axes with curved cutting edge. The north-eastern sites shows polished stone axes with rectangular butt and shouldered hoes. The southern sites distinguished by axes with oval side and pointed butt. 

    North-western sites, the Kashmir neolithic culture distinguished by dwelling pits.[Dwelling Pits-Large hole in the ground. Probably used as shelter by neolithic people.]. Burzahom 16KM north-west of Srinagar[Capital of Kashmir] Burzahom menas "the place of bitch". People lived there on lake-side pits, which suggests livelihood of  hunting and fishing. Gufkral, 45KM north-west of Srinagar, people of this area practice agriculture and domestication of animals. The neolithic people of Kashmir also used numerous tools and weapons mad of bone simultaneously with polished stone tools. Chirand, 40KM west of Patna[Capital of Bihar] only the other place which has yielded considerable one implements in India.

    The people of Burahom used coarse, grey pottery. And interestingly Burzahom only the neolithic place in Indai where domestic dogs were buried with masters in their graves.

    In southern India, neolithic people settled on the top of granite hills or on plateaus near south of Godavari River.In this area found fire-baked earthen figurines, maybe they possessed cattle, sheep and goats in there. 

    In north-east of India, neolithic sites found in hills of Assam, Garo hills in Meghalaya.

    In Allahabad district found evidence of rice cultivation in 5000 B.C.

    Neolithic people of Piklihal in Karnataka domesticated cattle, sheep, goat etc. Ash mound and habitation sites have been found in Piklihal.

    People of Mehrgarh now in Pakistan were more advanced. They produced wheat, cotton and lived in mud-brick houses.

    The neolithic settlers were the earliest farming communities. They broke the ground with stone hoes and digging sticks. They lived in circular or rectangular houses made of mud and reed. They use pots for store food grains, cooking, eating and drinking. Pottery first appears in this phase. considerable progress was made in neolithic phase in term of technology. the revolution of this phase appears the way for the threshold of civilization.

The Stone Age: Conclusion

    The people of stone age suffered from one great limitation. They depend almost entirely on stone tools and weapons, this the way they only settled down on the slop of hills,  in rock shelters and the hilly river valleys. They couldn't settle for away from the hilly areas. Further, even the people give great effort they could produced more than what they needed for survived.

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History of India- A Saga Part-2