UPSC CORE GEOGRAPHY · NCERT · SHARMA CH 6-7: STONE AGE (PALAEO/MESO/NEOLITHIC) + CHALCOLITHIC CULTURES
NCERT-aligned UPSC Core Geography topic. Every item is anchored to a real location on India's map — built for boards (CBSE, ICSE, state) and UPSC aspirants.
Two main Lower Palaeolithic stone-tool industries in India?
(i) SOHAN / SOAN industry (Soan valley, Punjab/Pakistan) — characterised by PEBBLE / CHOPPER-CHOPPING tools. (ii) MADRAS industry — characterised by HANDAXES + cleavers, made on the Acheulian model (similar to those found in Africa + Europe). The two industries reflect different stone-knapping traditions.
When did Lower Palaeolithic begin in India?
New evidence from ATTIRAMPAKKAM (TN, 2018 dating) suggests handaxes go back ~1.5 million years; HUNSGI (Karnataka) tools also ~1.7 mya. Lower Palaeolithic spans roughly 2 mya to 1 lakh years ago.
What did Lower Palaeolithic people do?
PURE HUNTER-GATHERERS — no agriculture, no pottery, no permanent dwellings; lived in small bands; followed game; used unrefined CORE TOOLS (handaxes, choppers). Tools made of QUARTZITE in India (since flint was rare).
SOAN VALLEY — features + dating?
SOAN VALLEY (Punjab Pakistan, near Rawalpindi) — Lower Palaeolithic site of "SOAN CULTURE" — pebble + chopper tools, ~500,000-200,000 years ago. Distinguished from MADRASIAN (south Indian) Acheulian hand-axe culture. Soan was studied by H. de TERRA + T.T. PATERSON (1930s).
MADRASIAN CULTURE — what + where?
MADRASIAN (after Madras) Lower Palaeolithic culture of S India — hand-axes + cleavers in Acheulian tradition. Key sites: ATTIRAMPAKKAM (TN, recently dated 1.5 MILLION years — oldest Indian site), Pallavaram, Hunsgi, Kortallayar valley. Differs from Soan: hand-axe-based vs pebble-based.
How did Middle Palaeolithic tools differ from Lower?
Tools made on FLAKES (not cores); smaller; SCRAPERS, BORERS, POINTS. Made through more refined PREPARED-CORE technique (like Levallois in Europe). Reflects appearance of Homo sapiens-like populations.
Upper Palaeolithic — what changed?
BLADE TECHNOLOGY — long thin sharp blades struck off prepared cores; BURINS (engraving tools), END-SCRAPERS; some evidence of ART (engraved ostrich-egg shells from Patne); use of fire well established (Kurnool caves).
MIDDLE PALAEOLITHIC — features?
Middle Palaeolithic (~150,000-40,000 BP) used SMALLER tools — flakes, scrapers, points (Levallois technique). Key Indian sites: NEVASA (Maharashtra), BHIMBETKA (lower layers), DIDWANA (Rajasthan), Belan Valley. Hominins likely Homo neanderthalensis or H. heidelbergensis.
UPPER PALAEOLITHIC — what changed?
Upper Palaeolithic (~40,000-10,000 BP) — anatomically MODERN HUMANS (Homo sapiens) using BLADE technology (long thin tools), bone tools (needles, awls), early ART (Bhimbetka cave paintings, Patne Maharashtra ostrich-shell pendant). End of last Ice Age (~10,000 BP) → Mesolithic.
KURNOOL CAVES — what were the discoveries?
KURNOOL caves (Andhra) — Upper Palaeolithic-Mesolithic. Yielded BONE TOOLS (rare for Indian Stone Age — most tools are stone), animal bones, stone tools. Excavated by Robert Bruce Foote (1880s) + later teams. Provides evidence of sophisticated late-Stone-Age life in S India.
What are MICROLITHS — the signature of the Mesolithic?
Tiny stone tools (1-5 cm) made on blade flakes; set into wood/bone hafts to make COMPOSITE tools — sickles, harpoons, arrow-points; key innovation enabling efficient hunting + later harvesting.
Earliest evidence of animal domestication in India?
BAGOR (Rajasthan) — sheep + goat bones from Mesolithic levels (~6,000 BCE). ADAMGARH — similar. Suggests semi-permanent settlements + beginning of pastoralism BEFORE full agriculture.
This topic is part of the NCERT UPSC Core History syllabus, drawn from the chapter Sharma Ch 6-7: Stone Age (Palaeo/Meso/Neolithic) + Chalcolithic Cultures. Content is cross-referenced against the latest NCERT textbook editions + standard reference works.
Use the interactive India map to learn stone age & chalcolithic cultures the way memory works best — by spatial location. Each pin opens a flashcard. Mark "Knew it" or "Didn't know" to track your mastery over time.
The questions, answers, item descriptions, and period chips on this page were authored with the help of Claude, an AI assistant by Anthropic, under human editorial direction. The catalog is our best approximation of factual knowledge synthesised from NCERT textbooks, the UPSC syllabus, and standard reference works. For high-stakes exams, please cross-check critical facts against your official NCERT textbook. Reports to support@bharatgeoquiz.com are folded into future updates as the community grows. Full disclosure on the Terms page →