CONSTRUCTION OF ANCIENT HISTORY
CONSTRUCTION OF ANCIENT HISTORY |
Historical source – It is original source that contain important historical information. Construction of History is based on these sources.
SOURCES | EVIDENCES | INFORMATION |
MATERIAL REMAINS:
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Radio-Carbon Dating is a method for determining the age of an object.
Grand Stone temples of Southern India; Brick Monasteries of the Eastern India; vertical & horizontal excavations of mounds, Megaliths (South India) |
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COINS:
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The study of coins is called Numismatics.
Coins excavated and collected from the surface and catalogued in various museums throughout the country and outside. |
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INSCRIPTIONS
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Epigraphy is the study of Inscriptions; Paleography: Study of old writings on inscriptions and other records.
Inscriptions carved on seals, stone pillars, rocks, copper plates, temple walls and bricks or images. Earliest in Prakrit (300 BC), later in Sanskrit and further late in regional languages. |
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LITERARY SOURCES: |
The four Vedas, Ramayana and Mahabharata, Smritis and Dharmasutras, Epics, Jain & Buddhist texts, poetry, Sangam Literature, plays etc. |
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FOREIGNER ACCOUNTS |
Accounts of Greeks, Romans or Chinese either as official historians, diplomats, pilgrims or even navigators/explorers. |
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PREHISTORIC PERIOD |
- It is the period of human history between 200000 BC and 3500-2500 when the first civilisation appeared.
- It is consisting of 5 period – Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic & Iron Age.
STONE AGE (LITHIC PERIODS):
- Early Indian history begins with Stone Age cultures in which the Human species used stone (‘lithos’ in Greek) tools for their survival.
- Stone age is broadly divided into three consecutive periods of time, namely, Paleolithic (2 million BC – 10,000 BC) à Mesolithic à Neolithic period à Chalcolithic Age (4000 BC – 1500 BC).
1(a): LOWER PALAEOLITHIC AGE [700,000 BC – 100,000 BC] (Homoeractus) | |
EVOLUTION |
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TOOLS |
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EXAMPLES (TOOLS) |
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SITES |
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1(b): MIDDLE PALAEOLITHIC AGE [100,000 BC – 40,000 BC] (Neanderthal) |
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EVOLUTION |
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TOOLS |
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EXAMPLES (TOOLS) |
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SITES |
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1(c): UPPER PALAEOLITHIC AGE [40,000 BC – 10,000 BC] (Homo sapiens) | |
EVOLUTION |
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TOOLS |
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EXAMPLES (TOOLS) |
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SITES |
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2. MESOLITHIC AGE [10,000 BC – 8000 BC] |
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EVOLUTION |
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TOOLS |
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EXAMPLES (TOOLS) |
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SITES |
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3. NEOLITHIC AGE [8000 BC – 4000 BC] |
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EVOLUTION |
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TOOLS |
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EXAMPLES (TOOLS) |
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SITES |
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CHALCOLITHIC AGE [4000 BC – 1500 BC] |
EVOLUTION: |
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CRAFTS AND POTS |
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TOOLS/ IDOLS |
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SITES |
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LIMITATIONS |
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IRON AGE: |
Starts with arrival of Aryans- Rigvedic Period.