CHAPTER 4
1. Which was the first metal used
by man?
Copper
2. Name the tool that was made
from the main stone.
Core tool
3. Name the first tool used by
man.
Pebble tool / Chopper
4. From which cultural period
was the handaxe used?
Lower Palaeolithic period
(Acheulian culture)
5. Grinding and polishing
technique was used in which
cultural period?
Neolithic period
6. Microliths belong to which
cultural period?
Mesolithic period
7. What are the divisions of
prehistory?
Palaeolithic period
Mesolithic period
Neolithic period
8. From which cultural period
bone needles were prepared?
Upper Palaeolithic period
9. Who invented Mousterian
culture?
Neanderthal man
10. Who used the term Neolithic
Revolution?
V. Gordon Childe
11. What is the core tool?
A core tool is a stone tool made
by shaping the main stone core
itself by removing flakes.
12. Name two tools belonging to
Mousterian culture.
Scraper
Point
13. What are microliths? How are
they used?
Microliths are very small stone
tools made mainly of flint.
They were used as arrowheads,
spear tips, knives and sickles,
often fixed to wooden or bone
handles.
14. What do you mean by
Palaeolithic tools?
Palaeolithic tools are rough,
unpolished stone tools made by
chipping, used by
early humans for hunting and
food processing.
15. What are the raw materials
used to prepare tools during the
Palaeolithic period?
Flint
Quartz
Chalcedony
Jasper
Sandstone
Bone and wood (later period)
16. Name a few Neolithic tools.
Polished stone axe
Celt
Adze
Sickle
Grinding stone
17. Name some important tools
of the Palaeolithic period.
Handaxe
Chopper
Scraper
Cleaver
Burin
Flake tools
18. Write briefly on Middle
Palaeolithic culture of Europe.
The Middle Palaeolithic culture of
Europe is known as the
Mousterian culture, associated
mainly with Neanderthals. Tools
were prepared using the
Levalloisian technique. Scrapers
and points were common. This
culture shows improved tool-
making skill and use of fire.
19. What is handaxe? Show its
different parts.
A handaxe is a bifacial stone tool
used for cutting, digging and
hunting.
Parts of handaxe:
Point
Butt
Cutting edge
Lateral margins
20. What are the salient features
of Upper Palaeolithic culture?
Advanced flake tools
Use of bone, antler and ivory
Bone needles and harpoons
Cave paintings and art
Development of language and
rituals
21. What is Neolithic Revolution?
What changes occurred in
human society in the Neolithic
period?
The Neolithic Revolution refers to
the shift from food-gathering to
food-producing economy.
Major changes:
Agriculture and domestication of
animals
Permanent settlements
Polished stone tools
Pottery making
Social organisation and property
concept
22. Write the differences
between core tool and flake tool
Core Tool
Made from main stone
Heavy and rough
Used in early Palaeolithic
Example: Handaxe
Flake Tool
Made from flakes
Light and sharp
Used in later Palaeolithic
Example: Scraper
23. Show the differences
between
Palaeolithic and Neolithic ways
of life
Palaeolithic
Food gathering
Nomadic life
Rough stone tools
No agriculture
No pottery
Neolithic
Food producing
Settled life
Polished stone tools
Agriculture present
Pottery used
24. Write short notes
a) Oldowan Culture
The Oldowan culture is
considered the earliest known
stone tool culture in human
prehistory. It dates back to about
2.6 million to 1.7 million years
ago and is
mainly associated with Homo
habilis and early forms of Homo
erectus. The name Oldowan
comes from Olduvai Gorge in
Tanzania, where Louis and Mary
Leakey discovered these tools.
Oldowan tools were very simple
and crude. They were made by
striking one stone against
another to produce choppers,
chopping tools and flakes. The
tools were mainly used for
cutting meat, breaking bones to
extract marrow and processing
plant materials.
The technique used was simple
direct percussion, with no
standardized shapes. Oldowan
culture marks the beginning of
tool-making behavior, showing
the early cognitive and manual
abilities of humans. It represents
the foundation of later and more
advanced stone tool industries.
b) Levalloisian Technique
The Levalloisian technique is an
advanced stone tool
manufacturing method mainly
associated with the Middle
Palaeolithic period. It was widely
used by Neanderthals and early
modern humans, especially in
Europe, Africa and Asia.
In this technique, the core was
carefully prepared before
removing flakes. The toolmaker
shaped the core in such a way
that flakes of predetermined size
and shape could be struck off.
This shows a high level of
planning and skill.
The flakes produced were then
retouched to make tools such as
scrapers, points and knives. The
Levalloisian technique
represents a major technological
advancement, as it reflects
mental planning, efficiency and
control in tool production. It
played a significant role in the
development of the Mousterian
culture.
c) Azilian Culture
The Azilian culture belongs to the
late Upper Palaeolithic to
Mesolithic transition period,
dating approximately from
12,000 to 9,000 years ago. It is
named after the site Mas d’Azil in
France.
Azilian tools were mostly
microlithic, small in size and
often geometric in shape.
Common tools included small
points, scrapers and backed
blades. These tools were used in
hunting and fishing activities.
One of the unique features of the
Azilian culture is the presence of
painted pebbles with dots, lines
and symbolic patterns,
suggesting the development of
art and symbolic behavior. The
Azilian culture reflects adaptation
to changing climatic conditions
after the Ice Age and marks a
transition from Palaeolithic to
Mesolithic life.
d) Mousterian Culture
The Mousterian culture is a
Middle Palaeolithic culture dating
from about 100,000 to 40,000
years ago. It is mainly associated
with Neanderthal man and is
named after the site Le Moustier
in France.
The Mousterian industry is
characterized by the extensive
use of the Levalloisian technique.
Tools were mostly flake tools
rather than core tools. Common
tools included side scrapers,
points, borers and denticulates.
Mousterian people were skilled
hunters and lived in caves and
rock shelters. Evidence of burial
practices, use of fire and social
care indicates a complex social
life. The Mousterian culture
shows significant progress in
tool-making and cultural
development compared to earlier
periods.
e) Kitchen Midden
A kitchen midden refers to a
heap of domestic refuse left by
prehistoric human communities.
These middens mainly consist of
shells, animal bones, pottery
fragments, tools and ash, and
are commonly associated with
Mesolithic and Neolithic cultures.
Kitchen middens are important
archaeological sources as they
provide valuable information
about dietary habits, subsistence
patterns and daily life of early
humans. Shell middens, found
mostly along coastal areas,
indicate dependence on marine
resources.
The study of kitchen middens
helps archaeologists understand
food consumption, seasonal
activities and settlement
patterns. Thus, kitchen middens
are crucial for reconstructing
prehistoric human culture and
environment.
f) Campignian Culture
The Campignian culture is a late
Mesolithic to early Neolithic
culture identified mainly in parts
of Western Europe, especially
France and Belgium. The term is
derived from the site Campigny
in France.
This culture is characterized by
the use of heavy flint tools,
especially tranchet axes, picks
and adzes. These tools were
mainly used for woodworking,
forest clearance and agricultural
activities.
The Campignian culture shows a
transitional phase from hunting-
gathering to early agricultural
practices. The presence of
ground stone tools and semi-
settled life indicates the gradual
development towards Neolithic
culture.
LONG QUESTION
1. Write briefly on the Middle
Palaeolithic culture of Europe
The Middle Palaeolithic culture of
Europe is mainly associated with
Neanderthal man and dates
roughly from 100,000 to 40,000
years ago. This culture is also
known as the Mousterian culture,
named after the site Le Moustier
in France.
The most important feature of
this culture was the use of the
Levalloisian technique, which
allowed the production of well-
shaped flakes from prepared
cores. The tools were more
refined than those of the Lower
Palaeolithic period. Common
tools included scrapers, points,
borers and knives, mostly made
from flint.
People of this period lived in
caves and rock shelters and
were skilled hunters who hunted
large animals like bison, deer
and mammoth. They also used
fire, wore animal skins and
showed evidence of
social care, as injured individuals
were looked after.
Burial practices were present,
indicating belief in life after
death. Thus, the Middle
Palaeolithic culture represents an
important stage in human cultural
and technological development.
2. What is a handaxe? Describe
its different parts with a neat
diagram.
A handaxe is a core tool
characteristic of the Lower
Palaeolithic (Acheulean) culture.
It is a bifacially worked stone
tool, meaning both sides were
flaked to produce a sharp edge.
Handaxes were mainly used for
cutting, chopping, digging and
skinning animals.
Parts of a Handaxe:
Butt – The broader and thicker
end, often unworked, used for
holding.
Cutting Edge – The sharp margin
used for cutting purposes.
Tip or Point – The narrow end
used for piercing or drilling.
Faces – The two flat surfaces
formed by flaking.
Base – The lower portion
providing balance while holding.
Handaxes vary in shape such as
oval, pear-shaped or triangular.
They show improved skill and
planning in early humans.
3. What are the salient features
of Upper Palaeolithic culture?
The Upper Palaeolithic culture
dates from about 40,000 to
10,000 years ago and is
associated with modern Homo
sapiens.
One of the main features of this
culture is the production of blade
tools, which are long and narrow
flakes struck from prepared
cores. Tools were made not only
from stone but also from bone,
antler and ivory. Common tools
included burins, scrapers,
needles and harpoons.
Art and symbolic expression
flourished during this period.
People created cave paintings,
engravings and small sculptures,
such as the famous paintings of
Lascaux and Altamira. The use
of ornaments and personal
decorations also became
common.
Upper Palaeolithic people lived in
caves as well as open-air
settlements, practiced advanced
hunting techniques and had a
well-developed social and
cultural life.
4. What is the Neolithic
Revolution? What changes
occurred in human society during
the Neolithic period?
The term Neolithic Revolution
was used by V. Gordon Childe to
describe the major changes that
took place when humans
shifted from food gathering to
food production.
During the Neolithic period,
humans began agriculture and
animal domestication, which led
to permanent settlements.
People started living in villages,
built houses, and stored surplus
food.
Technologically, ground and
polished stone tools replaced
chipped tools. New tools such as
celts, sickles and grinding stones
were used. The invention of
pottery helped in cooking and
storage.
Socially, population increased,
division of labour developed, and
concepts of property and
ownership emerged. Religious
beliefs became more organized.
Thus, the Neolithic Revolution
laid the foundation for civilization.
5. Write the differences between
core tool and flake tool
Core Tool: Made by shaping the
core stone
Flake Tool: Made from flakes
struck off a core
Core Tool: heavy and thick
Flake Tool: light and thin
Core Tool: Example: handaxe,
chopper
Flake Tool:Example: scraper,
blade
Core Tool: Used mainly in Lower
Palaeolithic
Flake Tool: Common in Middle
and Upper Palaeolithic
Core Tool:Cruder in appearance
Flake Tool: More refined and
sharp
6. Show the differences between
Palaeolithic and Neolithic ways
of life
Palaeolithic: Food gathering
economy
Neolithic: Food producing
economy
Palaeolithic: Nomadic life
Neolithic: Settled village life
Palaeolithic: Chipped stone tools
Neolithic: Ground and polished
tools
Palaeolithic: No agriculture
Neolithic: Agriculture and
domestication
Palaeolithic: No pottery
Neolithic: Pottery-making present
Palaeolithic: Simple social life
Neolithic: Complex social
organization