Early Life to Settled life
📚 Topic Overview: Early Life to Settled Life
This topic explains how humans moved from roaming in search of food to living in permanent villages.
It covers stages of the Stone Age, tool development, early farming, domestication, lifestyles, art expressions, and the slow transition to settled communities.
Stone Age Divisions
Concept / Theory
- The Stone Age is the earliest phase of human history when tools were mainly made from stone.
- It is divided into three stages: Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic.
- The Neolithic stage marks the beginning of agriculture and permanent settlement, often called the Neolithic Revolution.
Division Table
| Age | Sub-Division | Main Features |
|---|---|---|
| Palaeolithic | Lower | Large hand-axes and choppers |
| Palaeolithic | Middle | Flakes and improved hunting tools |
| Palaeolithic | Upper | Bone tools and early art activity |
| Mesolithic | — | Microlith tools and semi-nomadic life |
| Neolithic | — | Farming, pottery, permanent villages |
🧠 Keywords:
| Herders | People who move with domesticated animals for grazing |
| Nomadic | Moving without permanent settlement |
| Neolithic Revolution | Shift from food gathering to farming |
🔍 Example / Real-Life Application:
Some herding communities even today move with sheep and goats just like early semi-nomadic humans.
Some herding communities even today move with sheep and goats just like early semi-nomadic humans.
📝 Exam Tip:
Remember: Agriculture begins only in the Neolithic stage, not in the earlier stages.
Remember: Agriculture begins only in the Neolithic stage, not in the earlier stages.
Tools and Technology
Concept / Theory
- Tool making improved as human intelligence and needs increased.
- Stone, bone, and clay were the main materials for tool production.
- Tools changed from rough stone forms to small microliths and polished stone tools.
Tool Categories
| Material | Tools | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Stone | Hand-axes, choppers, cleavers, flakes | Old Stone Age |
| Microlith Stone | Small blades, arrow heads | Mesolithic Age |
| Polished Stone | Celts, ring stones, grinding stones | Neolithic Age |
| Bone | Needles, arrow heads, fish hooks | Upper Palaeolithic |
Bone Tool Sites in India
| Site | Region |
|---|---|
| Burzahom | Kashmir |
| Chirand | Bihar |
| Belan Valley | Uttar Pradesh |
| Koldihwa | Uttar Pradesh |
🧠 Keywords:
| Microliths | Small sharp stone tools of the Mesolithic Age |
| Celts | Polished stone axes used in farming |
| Bone Tools | Tools made from animal bones |
🔍 Example / Real-Life Application:
Modern sewing needles are similar in purpose to ancient bone needles used by early humans.
Modern sewing needles are similar in purpose to ancient bone needles used by early humans.
📝 Exam Tip:
Bone tools are strongly linked with the Upper Palaeolithic period.
Bone tools are strongly linked with the Upper Palaeolithic period.
Important Sites in India
- These sites provide evidence about prehistoric human settlements, tools, and lifestyle.
- They help historians understand different stages of human development.
| Site | Importance |
|---|---|
| Bhimbetka | Rock shelters and prehistoric paintings |
| Attirampakkam | Very early stone tool site |
| Hunsgi | Stone Age tools and settlement remains |
| Mehrgarh | Early farming and village life evidence |
| Burzahom | Bone tools and pit dwellings |
| Chirand | Neolithic settlement and bone tools |
| Daojali Hading | Eastern Neolithic culture evidence |
📝 Exam Tip:
Bhimbetka is known mainly for its rock paintings.
Bhimbetka is known mainly for its rock paintings.
Beginning of Farming
- Humans learned farming by observing plant growth patterns.
- This led to surplus food production and permanent settlements.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Crops | Wheat, barley, rice, millets, pulses, lentils |
| Tools | Stone axe, hoe, sickle |
| Storage | Granaries |
🔍 Example / Real-Life Application:
Paddy storage sheds used by farmers today reflect early granary systems.
Paddy storage sheds used by farmers today reflect early granary systems.
Domestication of Animals
Animals that Helped Early Farming
| Animal | Role |
|---|---|
| Ox / Bull | Ploughing and transport |
| Buffalo | Heavy farming work |
| Sheep & Goat | Milk, wool, meat |
| Dog | Protection of settlements |
| Pig | Food source |
🧠 Keywords:
| Domestication | Taming animals for human use |
| Plough Animals | Animals used for cultivation |
Lifestyles and Livelihoods
| Type | Features |
|---|---|
| Hunter-Gatherer | Nomadic, food collection, small groups |
| Semi-Nomadic | Seasonal travel, fishing, herding |
| Settled | Permanent houses, farming, trade |
Rock Art and Paintings
| Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| Locations | Bhimbetka, Belum region, Kurnool–Guntur area |
| Themes | Hunting, animals, group activities |
| Colours | Natural pigments |
Towards Settled Life
| Change | Transition |
|---|---|
| Food | Gathering → Farming |
| Settlement | Temporary → Permanent villages |
| Crafts | Pottery, weaving, bead-making, spinning |
Andhra Pradesh Consolidated Section
- Belum Caves (Kurnool district) yielded stone tools, microliths and bone tools unique to South India.
- Kurnool–Guntur region shows evidence of prehistoric rock art and early settlements.
- This region helps understand southern prehistoric lifestyle, tool making and early pastoral life.