Palaeolithic Age

• In the 19th Century, a three-age system was used, which is based on the idea that the age of stone tools was followed by Bronze & then Iron.   
• The next step was to identify changes within the Stone Age.  
• Indian stone age can be divided into
  • Palaeolithic Age (Old Stone Age): 2 Million Years (MYA) to 10,000 Before Present (BP)  
  • Mesolithic Age (Middle Stone Age)  
  • Neolithic Age (New Stone Age)

• It is the oldest part of the human past. It ranges from 2 Million Years Ago (MYA) to 10,000 BP in India.
• Broadly, Palaeolithic age can be further divided into Lower, Middle & Upper Palaeolithic ages.
  • Lower Palaeolithic Age: 2 MYA to 1,00,000 Before Present (BP)
  • Middle Palaeolithic Age: 1,00,000 Before Present (BP) to  40,000 Before Present (BP)
  • Upper  Palaeolithic Age: 40,000 Before Present (BP) to 10,000 Before Present (BP)
• However, there is a great deal of variation in the dates for different sites.

• Ethnographic Studies: Ethnographic studies of modern Hunter-Gatherers to observe and study their behaviours, tools, and lifestyle and get insights into subsistence strategies, social structures, and use of natural resources during the Palaeolithic period. Ethnographic studies are to be used cautiously as their interaction with modern societies might have significantly changed their strategies.
• Archaeology: Animal bones and fossils, stone tools, bone tools, rock paintings and artefacts
• Study of Human Genes: Study of Mitochondrial DNA (mt-DNA) provides information on pre-historic migrations.

• All three phases of the Palaeolithic Age are associated with the Pleistocene (or Ice Age).
• The characteristics of this age were
  1. Cold and dry climate
  2. Most parts of the earth were not fit for human habitation
• However, there were alternate phases of glaciation and inter-glaciation.
• About 10,000 years ago, the Pleistocene era gave way to the Holocene era (which continues to the present day), and climatic patterns that exist today came into being.

The evolution of the human species was observed

1. Lower Palaeolithic: Homo Erectus
2. Middle Palaeolithic: Homo Sapiens
3. Upper Palaeolithic: Homo Sapiens Sapiens (Modern Man)

Note:  Human ancestors are likely to have first evolved in Africa and later migrated to different parts of the world. The earliest human ancestor species to migrate out of Africa was the Homo Erectus.

• Palaeolithic societies consisted of what is known as Band Societies.
• Key features of Band Societies include
  • Very Small Groups (typically between 20-50 persons)
  • Flexible Membership that allows for adaptability based on environmental and social needs.
• Band societies were egalitarian, with only two kinds of social units.
  • Families: Foraging activities were performed by the family
  • Bands: Hunting of large game involved a group of males from several families. Membership of groups changed from hunt to hunt.
• There was no formal, permanent or hereditary leadership – the leader was either
  • A Skilled Hunter acted as a leader during the hunt.
  • Elders led while giving advice or informal guidance due to their experience.
• Resources, such as food or land, were not privately owned.  

• They were spread all over the subcontinent except valleys of Ganga and Indus, coastal areas and north-eastern India. Heavy rainfall, uncongenial conditions and lack of raw materials might have prevented the occupation of these areas. Or perhaps there was no necessity for the pre-historic people to move into these areas.

• Palaeolithic people lived in open air and shelters made of rocks, grass, leaves or reeds.
• Occupation sites could be
  • Continuous:  Bhimbetka & Hunsgi give evidence of continuous occupation
  • Temporary sites where people came, lived for some part of the year & moved on.

• Totemism refers to the belief system in which specific plants, animals, or objects are considered sacred or spiritually significant and often regarded as protectors.
• Totemistic beliefs existed among Palaeolithic communities.