Prehistoric UP — Stone Age to Iron Age

The Palaeolithic Age in UP

The Palaeolithic (Old Stone Age) is the earliest period of human activity, dating roughly from 5,00,000 BCE to 10,000 BCE. Uttar Pradesh’s southern highlands — especially the Vindhyan region — preserve some of India’s richest Palaeolithic evidence.

Belan Valley — The Treasure Trove

The Belan Valley in the Mirzapur-Sonbhadra belt is the single most important Palaeolithic zone in UP. Excavations led by G.R. Sharma of Allahabad University revealed a continuous cultural sequence from Lower Palaeolithic through Neolithic — a rare find anywhere in the world.

Other Palaeolithic Locations

Beyond the Belan Valley, Palaeolithic tools have been found across the Vindhyan plateau:

• Singhanpur and Hanumanganj (Sonbhadra) — Lower Palaeolithic hand axes in laterite gravel
• Lohaghat area near the Son river — Middle Palaeolithic flake assemblages
• Baghor I (Sidhi border, near Sonbhadra) — a triangular stone platform believed to be a possible Mother Goddess shrine, one of the earliest ritual structures found in South Asia

Exam Tip: The Belan-Son river confluence area shows all three Palaeolithic phases at a single location — this is a unique distinction for UP.

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Rock Paintings of the Vindhyan Region

UP’s rock art sites rank among the most significant prehistoric art galleries in India, concentrated in the Mirzapur district.

These paintings typically depict hunting scenes, dancing figures, wild animals (bison, deer, boar), and geometric patterns. Pigments used were red ochre, white kaolin, and occasionally black manganese.

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Mesolithic Period (10,000 — 6,000 BCE)

The Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) is marked by the use of tiny, finely crafted tools called microliths — small blades and points often set into wooden or bone handles.

Key Mesolithic Sites in UP

• Chopani Mando (Belan Valley) — earliest evidence of semi-permanent settlements and possible use of wild rice
• Sarai Nahar Rai (Pratapgarh) — a burial site with human skeletons found alongside microliths and animal bones
• Mahadaha (Pratapgarh) — similar burial evidence, some skeletons showing arrowhead injuries
• Damdama (Pratapgarh) — largest Mesolithic cemetery in India with 41 human burials

Key Fact: The Pratapgarh district cluster (Sarai Nahar Rai, Mahadaha, Damdama) provides the best evidence of Mesolithic burial practices in the entire Indian subcontinent.

What Mesolithic Burials Tell Us

The Pratapgarh burial sites reveal fascinating details about early human society in UP:

• Both male and female skeletons were found buried with grave goods — bone ornaments, shell beads, and microlith tools
• Some burials at Mahadaha show double burials (two individuals in one grave), suggesting family bonds
• Arrowhead injuries on some skeletons indicate inter-group conflict — the earliest evidence of warfare in the subcontinent
• Animal bones (deer, boar, turtle) found alongside humans suggest belief in an afterlife where food would be needed

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Neolithic Period (6,000 — 4,000 BCE)

The Neolithic (New Stone Age) brought the revolutionary shift from hunting-gathering to farming and settled village life.

Koldihwa — World-Class Discovery

Koldihwa (near Prayagraj) is globally significant because it yielded evidence of one of the earliest rice cultivation sites in the world, dating to around 6000 BCE. Excavated by G.R. Sharma, the site revealed:

• Charred rice husks embedded in pottery
• Cord-marked pottery typical of early farming communities
• Evidence of cattle domestication

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Chalcolithic / Copper Age

The Chalcolithic phase (copper + stone tools together) in UP is best represented by Ahichchhatra (Bareilly district), which later became the capital of North Panchala.

• Copper tools found alongside stone implements
• Black-and-Red Ware and Ochre Coloured Pottery (OCP) recovered
• Ochre Coloured Pottery (OCP) culture is concentrated in the Ganga-Yamuna Doab of western UP — sites include Hastinapur, Atranjikhera, and Lal Qila

Exam Note: OCP culture is considered a late Harappan or post-Harappan phase and is unique to the Upper Ganga plains.

Copper Hoard Culture

A distinctive feature of UP’s Chalcolithic era is the Copper Hoard culture — large caches of copper objects found buried across the Ganga-Yamuna Doab:

• Copper harpoons, antenna swords, rings, and anthropomorphic figures
• Major find-spots: Bisauli (Budaun), Rajpur Parsu (Bijnor), Baheria (Shahjahanpur)
• Over 80 copper hoard sites have been recorded in UP — the highest in any state
• These hoards are generally associated with OCP culture, though the exact makers remain debated

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Iron Age and Painted Grey Ware Culture

The Iron Age in UP (approximately 1200 — 600 BCE) is closely associated with the Painted Grey Ware (PGW) culture, which spread across western UP and Haryana.

Key PGW Sites in UP

PGW Characteristics

• Fine grey pottery with painted geometric designs in black
• Associated with the late Vedic period (Mahabharata era)
• Succeeded by Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW) from ~600 BCE, marking the beginning of the Mahajanapada period

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Key Takeaways

• The Belan Valley (Mirzapur-Sonbhadra) preserves a continuous sequence from Lower Palaeolithic to Neolithic
• Kauva Khoh is the largest rock art site in UP; most rock paintings are in Mirzapur
• Koldihwa near Prayagraj is one of the world’s earliest rice cultivation sites
• Pratapgarh district has the richest Mesolithic burial sites in India (Sarai Nahar Rai, Damdama)
• OCP culture belongs to the Ganga-Yamuna Doab; PGW culture represents the late Vedic / Mahabharata era
• Hastinapur and Atranjikhera are the most important Iron Age PGW sites in UP

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Summary Cheat Sheet