Chap 1 of Paper 1 & 2, (C)
Chap 1 of Paper 1 & 2, (C)
1
Principle of prehistoric archaeology And chronology :relative and absolute dating
method
1. Dating technique= Measurement of age of tangible object=Time based
2. Necessary to access evolutionary change, cultural development and technological
innovation
3. Absolute dating
a. Chronometric Dating method
b. Date to establish connection between specimen and universal time scale
c. Radiocarbon dating method
i. Solar radiation + nitrogen= radioactive carbon(C14)
ii. C12/ C14 + Oxygen= carbon dioxide=> Enter all living things
iii. Refer to page 164 of paper 1
iv. Ratio of c14 to C12 in atmosphere identical to ratio of c14 to C12 in any
living organism
v.
At death 5730 years 11460 years 17190 years
Mesolithic age
1. 10,000 to 4000 BC
2. Regarded as transition period from Big game hunting and stone tool tradition i.e.
Palaeolithic to the beginning of farming and pottery tradition I.e. Neolithic
3. Tool are smaller(1 cm to 8 cm) and geometrical =>Small Game Hunting=> Domestication
of plant and animal
Referred to PDF 104.2
Refer to page number 1 & 2 of 104.2 PDF
4. Tool type= microLiths.eg=lunate, trapezes, triangles ,Harpoon→Hafted on wood or
bones
5. Also called as microlithic age
6. Sites:
a. Frenchthi, theoPetra- Greece
b. Lepenski- Romania/ Serbia
c. Gamble cave- Kenya
7. Natufian culture
a. Mesolithic culture of Palestine and the southern Syria from 9000 BC
b. Supplemented their diet by gathering wild grain, did not cultivate it
c. Use sickle of Flint blade for harvesting And stone mortar and pastels for grinding
d. Lived in cave, occupied incipient village
e. Buried dead with personal ornament in cemeteries
8. Upper palaeolithic→ epipaleolithic→Mesolithic
Neolithic age
1. 4000 to 3000 BC
2. Neolithic culture= Neolithic revolution by Gordon childe and Henry Morgan=>Advanced
feature in technology and social life ,Food production
3. Beginning of food production economy
4. From hunting and fishing to agriculture and domestication
5. From cave living and Nomadic lifestyle to sedentary lifestyle
6. Advanced tools: pecked and ground tools, Microlithic , Hammer, points
7. Production of pottery ,Domestication of agriculture and milk product, Institution of former
leader like chief, Rudimentary form of wheel
8. Henry Morgan= beginning of economic inequalities called as primitive Communism
9. Bone tool industry flourished, material Used was basalt, Quartz and sandstone
Chalcolithic age:
1. 3000 to 1000 BC
2. Copper= Tougher, Les brittle, Re-shaped and Re-sharpened
3. First time copper tool was present at cayonu tepesi Turkey
4. Adopted copper plough cultivation, Different model of pottery
5. Megalith( first time), Related to magico religious practices
6. Gordon childe= ten invention: Wheeled cart, copper tools, plough, irrigation through
canal, horticulture, liquor brewing, Different varieties of pottery, manufacture of brick,
glazing technique and script & numerical notation
7. Found in Egypt and Eastern Mediterranean countries.
8. Marriage system evolved=> strengthened kinship relationship
Megalith
1. Referred to to large stone for identification of graves as well as to regulate the soul from
not coming out of the grave
2. wheeler= Stone monument used for burial practices for religious ritual
3. India= Late chalcolithic and early iron age, & Europe= late iron age
4. 4 type= Menher, cairn circle, DoloMen, cist