Neolithic Age or  New Stone Age 

Neolithic age or  New Stone Age 

• Neolithic age is a food producing age.
• The Neolithic Phase is also known as New Stone Age.
• In northern India, the Neolithic age emerged around c.8000- 6000 BCE.
• In some parts of southern and eastern India Neolithic age emerged around 1000 BCE.
• Subsistence of this age is agriculture, livestock rearing complemented with hunting and gathering.
• V. Gordon Childe termed the Neolithic age as Neolithic Revolution.
• This is the phase of important changes in man’s socio economic life.
• Sharp and polished Neolithic tools are used in this phase to cultivate the soil and grew fruits and corn like raagi and horse gram.
• The people in Neolithic phase started domesticating of cattle, sheep and goat.
• The people started innovation in the production of stone tools such as polished, pecked and ground stone tools.
• Other objects are also found from the Neolithic sites such as needles, scrapers, borers, pendants, bangles, and earrings.
•  The people of Neolithic site led a more settled life. They started living in rectangular and circular houses made of mud and reed.
• They knew how to make boats and could spin cotton, wool and weave cloth.
• The division of labour was based on sex and age.
• They use the complex and developed language.
• In Burzahom site – a special of rectangular chopper and domestic dogs buried with their masters in graves.
• In Maski, Brahmagiri and Piklihal sites – Proof of cattle herding are found from these sites.
• In Gufkaral of Jammu and Kashmir – pit dwelling and graveyards located within household.
• Earliest evidences of wheat cultivation are found from Mehrgarh (present day Pakistan)
• Earliest evidences of Rice cultivation are found from Koldihwa.
• Earliest evidences of use of pottery found from Chopan Mando.
• Important Neolithic sites: