Phases of the Palaeolithic Age and Major Sites
Ancient History › Prehistoric and Chalcolithic Cultures · Topic 2.2
The Palaeolithic age in India has three phases by tools and climate: Lower (about 600,000 to 150,000 BC; hand axes, cleavers, choppers; Bori, Sohan valley, Belan valley, Didwana, Chirki-Nevasa, Bhimbetka), Middle (150,000 to 35,000 BC; flake tools such as points, borers and scrapers) and Upper (35,000 to 10,000 BC; blades and burins, modern humans, 566 sites).
5 min read · UPSC Prelims · History · Prehistoric and Chalcolithic Cultures
At a Glance
- Lower About 600,000 to 150,000 BC
- Middle 150,000 to 35,000 BC
- Upper 35,000 to 10,000 BC
- Earliest site Bori, Maharashtra
- Economy Hunting and gathering
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Ancient History: Prehistoric and Chalcolithic Cultures
Where Does It Fit?
This is the second topic of the category on prehistoric and chalcolithic cultures. The previous topic covered human evolution, and this one covers the tool phases of the Old Stone Age. The next topic covers the Mesolithic age. Previous topic: Human Evolution and the Early Man in India.
How Is the Palaeolithic Divided?
In short: the Old Stone Age in India is divided into Lower, Middle and Upper phases according to tool types and climate.
| Phase | Date | Tools and features |
|---|---|---|
| Lower (Early Old Stone Age) | About 600,000 to 150,000 BC | Hand axes, cleavers and choppers, used for chopping, digging and skinning; covers most of the ice age |
| Middle | 150,000 to 35,000 BC | Flake-based industries: blades, points, borers and scrapers |
| Upper | 35,000 to 10,000 BC | Blades and burins; comparatively large flakes; coincides with the last phase of the ice age and with modern humans (Homo sapiens sapiens) |
The Early Old Stone Age may have begun in Africa about two million years ago, but in India it is not older than 600,000 years. Between 35,000 and 1500 BC tools of both Middle and Upper Palaeolithic ages occur on the Deccan Plateau.
Recent research pushes these dates back: it places the beginning of the Lower Palaeolithic around two million years ago, with the Attirampakkam site near Chennai, and dates the Middle Palaeolithic between about 385,000 and 40,000 years ago, with the Upper Palaeolithic from about 40,000 to 10,000 years before present. The Middle Palaeolithic was first identified by H.D. Sankalia on the Pravara river at Nevasa, and its sites occur in the Narmada, Godavari, Krishna and Yamuna valleys. Upper Palaeolithic sites include Meralbhavi in Karnataka, the Kurnool caves, Baghor in the Son valley and Patne in Maharashtra.
Which Sites Are Important?
| Phase | Sites |
|---|---|
| Lower | Bori in Maharashtra, the earliest Lower Palaeolithic site (about 600,000 years); the Son or Sohan valley in the Punjab, now Pakistan; Kashmir and the Thar desert; the Belan valley in UP; Didwana in Rajasthan, which yielded Lower, Middle and Upper tools; Chirki-Nevasa in Maharashtra with as many as 2000 tools; Nagarjunakonda in Andhra Pradesh; the caves and rock shelters of Bhimbetka near Bhopal, possibly seasonal camps |
| Middle | Geographical spread roughly the same as the Lower; several places on the Narmada and south of the Tungabhadra; the Belan valley at the foot of the Vindhyas, rich in stone tools and animal fossils including cattle and deer |
| Upper | 566 sites, probably reflecting general grassland with few trees; blades and burins in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, central MP, southern UP and Jharkhand; caves and rock shelters at Bhimbetka, 45 km south of Bhopal; an assemblage in the upper levels of the Gujarat sand dunes |
What Is the Tool Sequence in Brief?
| Aspect | Lower | Middle | Upper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main tools | Hand axes, cleavers, choppers | Flake blades, points, borers, scrapers | Blades, burins, scrapers |
| Climate | Ice age with second inter-glaciation phases | Ice age continues | Less humid, warming at the close of the ice age |
| People | Food gatherers, small-game hunters, fishers | Hunters and gatherers, with regional variations in tools | Modern humans using flint industries |
| Spread | Punjab, Kashmir, Thar, UP, Maharashtra, south | Same areas as the Lower | Andhra, Karnataka, Maharashtra, MP, UP, Jharkhand, Gujarat |
This table shows that tool technology became finer and more specialised over time, while the area of occupation widened.
How Did Palaeolithic People Live?
In the Lower Palaeolithic phase hand axes have been found in a deposit of the time of the second Himalayan inter-glaciation, when the climate became less humid. People were principally food gatherers who took to hunting small game and lived also on fish and birds; this phase is associated with the Homo sapiens group. Axes found in India are broadly similar to those of western Asia, Europe and Africa. The Upper Palaeolithic phase coincided with a climate that was less humid and comparatively warm, and in the world it marks the appearance of new flint industries and modern humans. Their use of caves and rock shelters is seen in Bhimbetka, where paintings extend from the Upper Palaeolithic through the Mesolithic. As an analytical point, the increase from the few Lower sites to hundreds of Upper sites suggests a growing population and better adaptation. Art and group life of these people are in Rock Art and Earliest Human Organisation in the Stone Age, and the next phase in The Mesolithic Age – Hunters and Herders.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Core Prelims Sites and tool types are common questions
- Chronology Dates of the three phases
- Link Prepares the Mesolithic
What Came Next?
The next topic describes the Mesolithic age. Next topic: The Mesolithic Age – Hunters and Herders.
Key People and Terms
- Hand axe Distinctive Lower Palaeolithic tool
- Cleaver Heavy cutting tool
- Burin Engraving tool of blade industries
- Flake tool Tool made from struck flakes
- Bori Earliest Lower Palaeolithic site
- Bhimbetka Rock shelters near Bhopal
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Lower: 600,000 to 150,000 BC.
- Middle: 150,000 to 35,000 BC.
- Upper: 35,000 to 10,000 BC.
- Earliest Lower site: Bori.
- Upper phase: 566 sites.
Do Not Confuse With
- Lower and Middle Palaeolithic tools Hand axes and choppers versus flake tools
- Middle and Upper Palaeolithic tools Flake points versus blades and burins
- Sohan valley and Belan valley Punjab (Pakistan) versus UP
Memory Hook
Axe and cleaver, then flake and scraper, then blade and burin; Bori first, Bhimbetka last.
Mains Angle
Questions on the Palaeolithic ask about phases and tools. These points add depth.
- Phases Three tool traditions
- Sites Distribution across regions
- Economy Hunting and gathering
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Describe the three phases of the Palaeolithic age in India with their tools and sites.”
How to Answer
- Division Lower, Middle, Upper.
- Tools Axes, flakes, blades.
- Sites Bori, Belan, Didwana, Bhimbetka.
- Life Food gathering and hunting.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the Palaeolithic age in India divided?
It is divided into three phases by tool type and climate: the Lower, roughly 600,000 to 150,000 BC; the Middle, 150,000 to 35,000 BC; and the Upper, 35,000 to 10,000 BC, with new blade and burin industries.
Which is the earliest Lower Palaeolithic site in India?
Bori in Maharashtra, with an age of about 600,000 years, is considered the earliest Lower Palaeolithic site in India. Other major Lower Palaeolithic sites include the Sohan valley, Belan valley, Didwana, Chirki-Nevasa, Nagarjunakonda and Bhimbetka.
What tools did the Lower Palaeolithic people use?
Lower Palaeolithic people used hand axes, cleavers and choppers, which were employed largely for chopping, digging and skinning. The axes found in India are more or less similar to those of western Asia, Europe and Africa.
What were Middle Palaeolithic tools?
Middle Palaeolithic industries were largely based on flakes or small pieces of stone. The main tools were blades, points, borers and scrapers made of flakes, found at places on the Narmada and south of the Tungabhadra.
What marks the Upper Palaeolithic phase?
The Upper Palaeolithic phase saw blades and burins, modern humans and 566 sites, in a less humid, warmer climate at the end of the ice age. Caves at Bhimbetka and Gujarat sand dune sites belong to it.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 Bori in Maharashtra is the earliest Lower Palaeolithic site in India.
It is dated about 600,000 years.
2 Blades and burins characterise the Middle Palaeolithic.
They mark the Upper Palaeolithic.
3 Didwana in Rajasthan yielded Lower, Middle and Upper Palaeolithic tools.
So did the Belan valley in part.
4 Hand axes and cleavers belong to the Lower Palaeolithic.
They were used for chopping and digging.
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