Early Human and Prehistoric Cultures

The earliest people used to live in small groups in the caves or under trees or rocks. They did not build houses. Actually they led a mobile life, constantly moving from one place to another. People who regularly move from place to place are called Nomads.

Humans made remarkable technological progress during the Neolithic period. They became food - producers and started leading a settled life.People no longer depend on hunting , fishing and gathering . Agriculture and animal husbandary took care of their food, with agriculture expansion , early human beings needed pots in which they could store yheir food grains. They also needed pots for cooking , eating and drinking.Pottery was invented during this period.Animals like dogs , cats , cattle, sheep , camels , geese, horses and pigs started out as wild animals. But these animals were tamed out as wild animals.

Archaeological evidence from the Neolithic site of Hallur in Karnataka has revealed the presence of domesticated sheep and goat bones.

• The earliest 'man-like creature' which racially differed from 'Homo sapiens' is generally known as Hominid.
• They are also known as great apes and are a taxonomic family of primates that includes eight extant species.

Neanderthals evolved in and were adapted to the cold climates of Pleistocene Europe.

Australopithecus species were primarily herbivorous, feeding on fruits, leaves, and other plant matter. While they may have occasionally scavenged, they are not characterized as hunters using stone weapons, which is a trait associated with later Homo species.

Migration from mountains to the plane due to sheep herding is called transhumance. It is the action or practice of moving livestock from one place to other for the sake of grazing seasonally. It usually follows seasonal cycle, typically to lowlands in winter and highlands in summer.

The Turan Type of regions experience extreme climate. It stretches from the Caspian, eastward towards the Pamirs, and from the northern edge of the Plateau of Iran northward, beyond the Sea of Aral, to the Kirghiz steppes. The climate is continental, with hot summers, cool winters and a low rainfall. Due to the availability of vast stretches of grassland, the most important occupation of people in this region is cattle and animal rearing.

Chenchu are tribal group of people lives in dense forests . They mainly depends on hunting and gathering. Chenchu people and their relatives live together at a place by constructing huts, this small huts all together termed as pentas by theme.

Such Paintings are found in the Bhimbhetka Caves in Madhya Pradesh and many other caves around the world. These paintings reflect the life of the Stone Age people and tells us about the variety of animals they hunted for their their survival.

The New Stone Age began after 10,000 years. The stone weapons of this period are different from those of the earlier periods. These weapons were bright and had sharp blades.

The Paleolithic lasted from 2.6 million years ago to about 12,000 years ago. The word Palaeolithic derives from the Greek: palaios (old) and lithikos (relating to or composed of stone), means 'old age of the stone'. It can be divided into three stages: Early (lower) Paleolithic age, Middle Paleolithic age and Late ( upper) Paleolithic age.

The Stone Age is traditionally divided into three distinct phases based on the development of tool technology: the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic ages.

The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic or Palæolithic  also called the Old Stone Age, is a period in human prehistory distinguished by the original development of stone toold that covers 99% of the time period of human technological prehistory. It extends from the earliest known use of stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago, to the end of the pleistocene.