Discovery of Pre-historic Culture
The human ancestors are likely to have first evolved in Africa and later migrated to different parts of the world. The earliest human ancestors who migrated were hunters and food gatherers who lived in caves and rock shelters. They used stone tools like hand axes, cleavers, choppers, blades, etc. They are also called quartzite men in India because they used quartzite for their tools.
Dr. Primrose made the very first recorded discovery of the prehistoric stone tool in India. He discovered a collection of polished stone implements described as stone knives and arrowheads from Lingasugur, Karnataka. The modern consensus typically categorises these polished stone tools as Neolithic and Mesolithic in origin.
Robert Bruce Foote, a British geologist and archaeologist widely regarded as the father of Indian prehistory, discovered India's first conclusive Palaeolithic stone tools (that is, hand axes) from Pallavaram, Tamil Nadu. He discovered the largest Neolithic stone tool factory in Madras. He also discovered ancient bone tools and clear evidence of human habitation in Kurnool caves, Andhra Pradesh.
Dr. Arun Sanakai was a distinguished Indian geologist from the Geological Survey of India who discovered the first human fossil, famously known as the Narada Man, from Pallavaram in Madhya Pradesh. Prior to his discovery in 1982, archaeologists in India had discovered abundant prehistoric stone tools, but no human fossil evidence was found. The fossil discovery by him dated back to roughly 250,000 to 500,000 years ago.
The European scholar A.C. Carlyle made the first-ever discovery of rock paintings in India in 1867-68. He discovered these paintings from rock shelters at Sohagighat in Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh. The paintings he found were made up of red ochre and primarily featured wild animals, human figures, and hunting scenes. In 1867, Carlyle was the very first researcher to discover microliths, that is, tiny and sharp stone tools belonging to the Mesolithic era.
Dr. Vishnu Shridhar Wankar was an Indian archaeologist who is widely regarded as the father of Indian rock art studies. He discovered the rock painting of the Beam Betka rock shelter in Madhya Pradesh. These caves, known as the largest art gallery of prehistoric India, were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. He also discovered on excavated the Chalcolithic culture of Madhya Pradesh. He did extensive groundwork and research to trace the extinct Saraswati River. He surveyed and analysed more than 4,000 decorated rock caves across India, Europe, and North America.
Important prehistoric Stone Age sites in India
- Attrambakkam
- A Palaeolithic site in Tamil Nadu.
- First discovered in 1863 by the British geologist Robert Bruce Foote.
- Excavation revealed stone tools dating from 1.5 to 1.7 million years ago.
- Bommayapalayam
- A prehistoric site from Tamil Nadu.
- In 2001, a research team led by an archaeologist discovered fossilised hominoid baby skulls.
- Kasheli
- A major prehistoric petroglyph geoglyph site located in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra.
- The site is famous for one of South Asia's largest rock engravings, called by local people Kattal Silpa. That is a massive elephant figure measuring approximately 18 m by 13 l.
- Balen Valley
- A major archaeological site in Uttar Pradesh which provides evidence from the Palaeolithic to the Neolithic in the place located inside the valley regions, such as Chopani, Mando, Koldihawa and Mahagar.
