South Asian Stone Age

Outline of South Asian history
Palaeolithic (2,500,000–250,000 BCE) Madrasian Culture (2,500,000 BCE) Riwatian Culture (1,900,000 BCE) Soanian Culture (500,000–250,000 BCE)
Neolithic (10,800–3300 BCE) Bhirrana Culture (7570–6200 BCE) Mehrgarh Culture (7000–3300 BCE)
Chalcolithic (3500–1500 BCE) Jorwe Culture (3500–2000 BCE) Ahar-Banas Culture (3000–1500 BCE) Pandu Culture (1600–1500 BCE)
Bronze Age (3000–1300 BCE) Indus Valley Civilisation (3300–1300 BCE)  – Early Harappan Culture (3300–2600 BCE)  – Mature Harappan Culture (2600–1900 BCE)  – Late Harappan Culture (1900–1300 BCE) Vedic Civilisation (2000–500 BCE)  – Ochre Coloured Pottery culture (2000–1600 BCE)  – Swat culture (1600–500 BCE)
Iron Age (1300–230 BCE) Vedic Civilisation (2000–500 BCE)  – Janapadas (1500–600 BCE)  – Black and Red ware culture (1300–1000 BCE)  – Painted Grey Ware culture (1200–600 BCE)  – Northern Black Polished Ware (700–200 BCE) Pradyota Dynasty (799–684 BCE) Haryanka Dynasty (684–424 BCE) Three Crowned Kingdoms (c. 600 BCE–1600 CE) Maha Janapadas (c. 600–300 BCE) Achaemenid Empire (550–330 BCE) Ror Dynasty (450 BCE–489 CE) Shishunaga Dynasty (424–345 BCE) Nanda Empire (380–321 BCE) Macedonian Empire (330–323 BCE) Maurya Empire (321–184 BCE) Seleucid Empire (312–63 BCE) Pandya Empire (c. 300 BCE–1345 CE) Chera Kingdom (c. 300 BCE–1102 CE) Chola Empire (c. 300 BCE–1279 CE) Pallava Empire (c. 250 BCE–800 CE) Maha-Megha-Vahana Empire (c. 250 BCE–c. 500 CE) Parthian Empire (247 BCE–224 CE)
Classical Period (230 BCE–1206 CE) Satavahana Empire (230 BCE–220 CE) Kuninda Kingdom (200 BCE–300 CE) Indo-Scythian Kingdom (200 BCE–400 CE) Mitra Dynasty (c. 150 BCE–c. 50 BCE) Shunga Empire (185–73 BCE) Indo-Greek Kingdom (180 BCE–10 CE) Kanva Empire (75–26 BCE) Indo-Parthian Kingdom (21–c. 130 CE) Western Satrap Empire (35–405 CE) Kushan Empire (60–240 CE) Bharshiva Dynasty (170–350 CE) Nagas of Padmavati (210–340 CE) Sasanian Empire (224–651 CE) Indo-Sassanid Kingdom (230–360 CE) Vakataka Empire (c. 250–c. 500 CE) Kalabhras Empire (c. 250–c. 600 CE) Gupta Empire (280–550 CE) Kadamba Empire (345–525 CE) Western Ganga Kingdom (350–1000 CE) Kamarupa Kingdom (350–1100 CE) Vishnukundina Empire (420–624 CE) Maitraka Empire (475–767 CE) Huna Kingdom (475–576 CE) Rai Kingdom (489–632 CE) Kabul Shahi Empire (c. 500–1026 CE) Chalukya Empire (543–753 CE) Maukhari Empire (c. 550–c. 700 CE) Harsha Empire (606–647 CE) Tibetan Empire (618–841 CE) Eastern Chalukya Kingdom (624–1075 CE) Rashidun Caliphate (632–661 CE) Gurjara-Pratihara Empire (650–1036 CE) Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE) Pala Empire (750–1174 CE) Rashtrakuta Empire (753–982 CE) Paramara Kingdom (800–1327 CE) Yadava Empire (850–1334 CE) Chaulukya Kingdom (942–1244 CE) Western Chalukya Empire (973–1189 CE) Lohara Kingdom (1003–1320 CE) Hoysala Empire (1040–1346 CE) Sena Empire (1070–1230 CE) Eastern Ganga Empire (1078–1434 CE) Kakatiya Kingdom (1083–1323 CE) Karnatas of Mithila (1097-1325 CE) Zamorin Kingdom (1102–1766 CE) Kalachuris of Tripuri (675-1210 CE) Kalachuris of Kalyani (1156–1184 CE) Sutiya Kingdom (1187-1673 CE) Deva Kingdom (c. 1200–c. 1300 CE)
Medieval and Early Modern Periods (1206–1858 CE) Delhi Sultanate (1206–1526 CE)  – Mamluk Sultanate (1206–1290 CE)  – Khilji Sultanate (1290–1320 CE)  – Tughlaq Sultanate (1320–1414 CE)  – Sayyid Sultanate (1414–1451 CE)  – Lodi Sultanate (1451–1526 CE) Ahom Kingdom (1228–1826 CE) Chitradurga Kingdom (1300–1779 CE) Oinwar dynasty (1323-1526 CE) Reddy Kingdom (1325–1448 CE) Vijayanagara Empire (1336–1646 CE) Garhwal Kingdom (1358–1803 CE) Mysore Kingdom (1399–1947 CE) Gajapati Kingdom (1434–1541 CE) Deccan Sultanates (1490–1596 CE)  – Ahmadnagar Sultanate (1490–1636 CE)  – Berar Sultanate (1490–1574 CE)  – Bidar Sultanate (1492–1619 CE)  – Bijapur Sultanate (1492–1686 CE)  – Golkonda Sultanate (1518–1687 CE) Keladi Kingdom (1499–1763 CE) Koch Kingdom (1515–1947 CE) Mughal Empire (1526–1858 CE) Sur Empire (1540–1556 CE) Madurai Kingdom (1559–1736 CE) Thanjavur Kingdom (1572–1918 CE) Marava Kingdom (1600–1750 CE) Thondaiman Kingdom (1650–1948 CE) Maratha Empire (1674–1818 CE) Sikh Confederacy (1707–1799 CE) Travancore Kingdom (1729–1947 CE) Sikh Empire (1799–1849 CE)
Colonial Period (1510–1961 CE) Portuguese India (1510–1961 CE) Dutch India (1605–1825 CE) Danish India (1620–1869 CE) French India (1759–1954 CE) Company Raj (1757–1858 CE) British Raj (1858–1947 CE)
Kingdoms and Colonies of Sri Lanka (544 BCE–1948 CE) Kingdom of Tambapanni (543–505 BCE) Kingdom of Upatissa Nuwara (505–377 BCE) Anuradhapura Kingdom (377 BCE–1017 CE) Kingdom of Ruhuna (200 CE) Kingdom of Polonnaruwa (300–1310 CE) Jaffna Kingdom (1215–1624 CE) Kingdom of Dambadeniya (1220–1272 CE) Kingdom of Yapahuwa (1272–1293 CE) Kingdom of Kurunegala (1293–1341 CE) Kingdom of Gampola (1341–1347 CE) Kingdom of Raigama (1347–1415 CE) Kingdom of Kotte (1412–1597 CE) Kingdom of Sitawaka (1521–1594 CE) Kingdom of Kandy (1469–1815 CE) Portuguese Ceylon (1505–1658 CE) Dutch Ceylon (1656–1796 CE) British Ceylon (1815–1948 CE)
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The South Asian Stone Age covers the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic periods in South Asia. Evidence for the most ancient anatomically modern Homo sapiens in South Asia has been found in the cave sites of Batadombalena and Belilena in Sri Lanka. In Mehrgarh, in what is today western Pakistan, the Neolithic began c. 7000 BCE and lasted until 3300 BCE and the first beginnings of the Bronze Age. In South India, the Mesolithic lasted until 3000 BCE, and the Neolithic until 1400 BCE, followed by a Megalithic transitional period mostly skipping the Bronze Age. The Iron Age began roughly simultaneously in North and South India, around 1200 to 1000 BCE (Painted Grey Ware culture, Hallur).

File:Pre Historic Mid Krishna-Tungabhadra Valley sites.jpg

Pre Historic Sites of Middle Krishna-Tungabhadra River Valley of South India are probably the efficient paleolithic cultural area's as per the evidences found over the valley

File:Bhimbetka.JPG

Bhimbetka rock painting, Madhya Pradesh, India.

File:EdakkalCaveCarving.jpg

Stone age writing of Edakkal Caves in Kerala, India.

File:Ketavaram rock paintings.JPG

Ketavaram rock paintings, Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh

Homo erectus

Further information: Acheulian, Soanian, and Riwat

Homo erectus lived on the Pothohar Plateau, in upper Punjab, Pakistan along the Soan River (nearby modern-day Rawalpindi) during the Pleistocene Epoch. Soanian sites are found in the Sivalik region across what are now India, Pakistan and Nepal.

Biface handaxes and cleaver traditions may have originated in the middle Pleistocene. The beginning of the use of Acheulian and chopping tools of the lower Paleolithic may also be dated to approximately the middle Pleistocene.

The coming of Homo sapiens

Analysis of mitochondrial DNA dates the immigration of Homo sapiens to South Asia to 75,000 to 50,000 years ago. An analysis of Y chromosome haplogroups found one man in a village west of Madurai to be a direct descendant of these migrators. These populations spread further to Southeast Asia, reaching Australia by 40,000 years ago. Cave sites in Sri Lanka have yielded the earliest non-mitochondrial record of modern Homo sapiens in South Asia. They were dated to 34,000 years ago. (Kennedy 2000: 180). For finds from the Belan in southern Uttar Pradesh, radiocarbon data have indicated an age of 18-17kya.

At the Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka humans lived throughout the Upper Paleolithic (10th to 8th millennia BCE), revealing cave paintings dating to c. 30,000 BCE, and there are small cup like depressions at the end of the Auditorium Rock Shelter, which is dated to nearly 100,000 years; the Sivaliks and the Potwar (Pakistan) region also exhibit many vertebrate fossil remains and paleolithic tools. Chert, jasper and quartzite were often used by humans during this period.

Neolithic

Further information: Bhirrana, Mehrgarh, and Neolithic Tamil Nadu

The aceramic Neolithic (Mehrgarh I, Baluchistan, Pakistan, also dubbed "Early Food Producing Era") lasts c. 7000 - 5500 BCE. The ceramic Neolithic lasts up to 3300 BCE, blending into the Early Harappan (Chalcolithic to Early Bronze Age) period. One of the earliest Neolithic sites in India is Lahuradewa in the Middle Ganges region and Jhusi near the confluence of Ganges and Yamuna rivers, both dating to around the 7th millennium BCE. Recently another site along the ancient Saraswati riverine system in the present day state of Haryana in India called Bhirrana has been discovered yielding a dating of around 7600 BCE for its Neolithic levels.

In South India the Neolithic began by 3000 BCE and lasted until around 1400 BCE. South Indian Neolithic is characterized by Ashmounds since 2500 BCE in the Andhra-Karnataka region that expanded later into Tamil Nadu. Comparative excavations carried out in Adichanallur in the Thirunelveli District and in Northern India have provided evidence of a southward migration of the Megalithic culture. The earliest clear evidence of the presence of the megalithic urn burials are those dating from around 1000 BCE, which have been discovered at various places in Tamil Nadu, notably at Adichanallur, 24 kilometers from Tirunelveli, where archaeologists from the Archaeological Survey of India unearthed 12 urns with Tamil Brahmi script on them containing human skulls, skeletons and bones, husks, grains of charred rice and Neolithic celts, confirming the presence of the Neolithic period 2800 years ago. Archaeologists have made plans to return to Adhichanallur as a source of new knowledge in the future.

See also

• History of Afghanistan
• History of Bangladesh
• History of Bhutan
• History of India
• History of Nepal
• History of Pakistan
• History of Sri Lanka
• Prehistoric Asia

References

• Kennedy, Kenneth Adrian Raine (2000). God-Apes and Fossil Men: Palaeoanthropology of South Asia. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. ISBN 978-0472110131.
• James, Hannah V. A.; Petraglia, Michael D. (December 2005). "Modern Human Origins and the Evolution of Behavior in the Later Pleistocene Record of South Asia" ^[archive] (PDF). Current Anthropology. 46 (Supplement): S3. doi:10.1086/444365 ^[archive]. Archived from the original ^[archive] (PDF) on 19 August 2006.
• Misra, V. N. (November 2001). "Prehistoric human colonization of India". Journal of Biosciences. 26 (4): 491–531. doi:10.1007/BF02704749 ^[archive]. PMID 11779962 ^[archive].

External links

• Modern Humans Arrival In South Asia May Have Led To Demise Of Indigenous Populations ^[archive] (ScienceDaily 2005)