Context:
Furnace and iron slag found at Daojali Hading point to early metallurgical practices of the Neolithic Age.
Daojali Hading:
- Located in Assam, near the Brahmaputra valley.
- First evidence in India of an Eastern Asiatic Neolithic complex (double-shouldered Celts and cord-marked pottery).
- Presence of stone tools, including polished stone axes, indicating early agricultural practices.
- Discovery of furnaces and iron slag points to early metallurgical activities in the Neolithic period.
Neolithic Period (About 6000 BC – 1000 BC):
- Last stage of the Stone Age, marked by agricultural expansion and polished stone tools.
- Transition from hunting-gathering to sedentary farming.
- Domestication of animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, and dogs.
- Pottery-making became widespread, supporting food storage and cooking.
- Evidence of burial sites, indicating ritualistic and social developments.
- The emergence of village settlements, leading to a more organized society.
Important Neolithic Sites in India:
- Kashmir Region –
- Burzahom: Evidence of pit dwellings, burial sites, and bone tools.
- Gufkral: Early agricultural site with Neolithic ceramics.
- Kanispur: Associated with Neolithic tools and dwellings.
- Ganga Valley –
- Chopani Mando: Microlithic tools and pre-agricultural settlements.
- Koldihwa: Evidence of early rice cultivation (~5000 BC).
- Lehuradeva: Confirms early rice and barley cultivation.
- Mahagara: Associated with domesticated animals and painted pottery.
Source: TH
Previous Year Question
Which one of the following is not a Harappan site?
[UPSC Civil Service Exam – 2019 Prelims]
(a) Chanhudaro
(b) Kot Diji
(c) Sohgaura
(d) Desalpur
Answer: (c)