Stone Age of India MCQs – Paleolithic to Neolithic for UPSC

Q1. With reference to the Palaeolithic period in India, consider the following statements:

1. It is also referred to as the Ice Age.
2. People of this period lived in pit dwellings and cultivated crops.
   Which of the above statements is/are correct?
   a) 1 only
   b) 2 only
   c) Both 1 and 2
   d) Neither 1 nor 2

Q2. Which one of the following sites is known for Upper Palaeolithic cave paintings in India?
a) Hallur
b) Bhimbetka
c) Mehrgarh
d) Chirand

Q3. The earliest evidence of animal domestication in India has been found at:
a) Attirampakkam
b) Adamgarh
c) Bagor
d) Hunsgi

Q4. Consider the following statements regarding Mesolithic tools:

1. Microliths were small, pointed stone tools.
2. Tools made from bones also appeared during this period.
   Which of the above statements is/are correct?
   a) 1 only
   b) 2 only
   c) Both 1 and 2
   d) Neither 1 nor 2

Q5. Mehrgarh is an important site because:
a) It contains Upper Paleolithic cave paintings.
b) It gives earliest evidence of agriculture and animal domestication.
c) It is the earliest Iron Age settlement.
d) It provides proof of trade with Mesopotamia.

Q6. Which of the following developments is/are associated with the Neolithic period in India?

1. Discovery of fire
2. Use of polished stone tools
3. Practice of shifting cultivation
   Select the correct answer using the code:
   a) 1 and 2 only
   b) 2 and 3 only
   c) 1 and 3 only
   d) 1, 2 and 3

Q7. Match the following sites with their associated period:
A. Langhnaj –
B. Attirampakkam –
C. Burzahom –
D. Chirand –

1. Neolithic
2. Palaeolithic
3. Mesolithic
4. Neolithic

Which is the correct match?
a) A-3, B-2, C-1, D-4
b) A-1, B-3, C-2, D-4
c) A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4
d) A-2, B-3, C-4, D-1

Q8. In which period did humans first begin to domesticate animals?
a) Palaeolithic
b) Mesolithic
c) Neolithic
d) Chalcolithic

Q9. The discovery of the wheel for transport and pottery is first seen in:
a) Mesolithic period
b) Early Vedic period
c) Neolithic period
d) Harappan period

Q10. Which of the following pairs is correctly matched?
Site – State
a) Bhimbetka – Karnataka
b) Langhnaj – Gujarat
c) Chirand – Uttar Pradesh
d) Bagor – Madhya Pradesh

Q11. Consider the following statements:

1. Microliths were used in the Palaeolithic period.
2. Polished stone tools came into use during the Neolithic period.
   Which of the above is/are correct?
   a) 1 only
   b) 2 only
   c) Both 1 and 2
   d) Neither 1 nor 2

Q12. Which of the following Neolithic sites is known for pit dwellings?
a) Hallur
b) Chirand
c) Burzahom
d) Mehrgarh

Q13. The earliest evidence of paddy cultivation in India has been found at:
a) Bagor
b) Adamgarh
c) Sanganakallu
d) Lahuradewa

Q14. Consider the following statements:

1. People in the Neolithic period weaved cloth.
2. Use of bone tools was started in the Neolithic period.
   Which of the above is/are correct?
   a) 1 only
   b) 2 only
   c) Both 1 and 2
   d) Neither 1 nor 2

Q15. Which of the following is not a characteristic feature of the Mesolithic period?
a) Use of microliths
b) Rock art
c) Discovery of wheel
d) Domestication of animals

Q16. Consider the following statements about Adamgarh:

1. It provides evidence of early domestication of animals.
2. It has evidence of rock art.
   Which of the above statements is/are correct?
   a) 1 only
   b) 2 only
   c) Both 1 and 2
   d) Neither 1 nor 2

Q17. Which of the following is the correct chronological order?
a) Mesolithic – Neolithic – Palaeolithic
b) Palaeolithic – Mesolithic – Neolithic
c) Neolithic – Palaeolithic – Mesolithic
d) Palaeolithic – Neolithic – Mesolithic

Q18. The invention of pottery wheels happened in which period?
a) Palaeolithic
b) Mesolithic
c) Later Neolithic
d) Chalcolithic

Q19. Which one of the following is a correct feature of the Neolithic period?
a) Pit dwellings
b) Hunting-gathering society
c) Absence of agriculture
d) Use of polished stone tools

Q20. The Hathnaura fossil is important because:
a) It is the earliest evidence of metallurgy.
b) It is the only known hominid fossil from India.
c) It shows contact with Central Asia.
d) It depicts early writing system.

Q21. Which of the following sites shows evidence of both Microliths and Rock Paintings?
a) Langhnaj
b) Adamgarh
c) Chirand
d) Bhimbetka

Q22. Which statement correctly describes the transition to the Mesolithic period?
a) Humans abandoned tools and became nomadic again.
b) People began shifting agriculture and domestication.
c) Stone tools were replaced by iron weapons.
d) Writing systems first appeared.

Q23. The earliest stone tools used by humans in India belong to:
a) Mesolithic period
b) Chalcolithic period
c) Palaeolithic period
d) Vedic period

Q24. Pottery-making in India began during which period?
a) Neolithic
b) Harappan
c) Palaeolithic
d) Mesolithic

Q25. Which of the following were cultivated during the Neolithic period?

1. Wheat
2. Barley
3. Ragi
4. Rice
   Select the correct answer using the code below:
   a) 1 and 2 only
   b) 1, 2 and 3 only
   c) 2, 3 and 4 only
   d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer Key with Explanations – Stone Age of India MCQs

Q. No.	Answer	Explanation
1	a) 1 only	Statement 1 is correct: The Paleolithic Age is often called the Ice Age. Statement 2 is incorrect: Pit dwellings and agriculture began only in the Neolithic period.
2	b) Bhimbetka	Bhimbetka (Madhya Pradesh) has prehistoric cave paintings from the Upper Paleolithic age.
3	c) Bagor	Bagor (Rajasthan) is one of the earliest sites showing animal domestication in India.
4	c) Both 1 and 2	Microliths (small stone tools) and bone tools are both features of the Mesolithic period.
5	b) It gives earliest evidence of agriculture and animal domestication.	Mehrgarh (Balochistan) has early Neolithic evidence of wheat/barley cultivation and domestication.
6	d) 1, 2 and 3	All three developments — fire (earlier), polished tools, and shifting agriculture — are present in the Neolithic period.
7	a) A-3, B-2, C-1, D-4	Langhnaj (Mesolithic), Attirampakkam (Palaeolithic), Burzahom (Neolithic), Chirand (Neolithic).
8	b) Mesolithic	Domestication of animals began during the Mesolithic age and became more established in the Neolithic.
9	c) Neolithic period	The invention of the wheel for pottery and transport occurred in the later Neolithic period.
10	b) Langhnaj – Gujarat	Bhimbetka is in Madhya Pradesh, Chirand is in Bihar, Bagor is in Rajasthan.
11	b) 2 only	Microliths are associated with the Mesolithic, not Palaeolithic. Polished stone tools are a hallmark of the Neolithic.
12	c) Burzahom	Burzahom (in Kashmir) is famous for its pit dwellings and Neolithic culture.
13	d) Lahuradewa	Lahuradewa (Uttar Pradesh) provides the earliest evidence of paddy cultivation (c. 7000 BCE).
14	c) Both 1 and 2	Neolithic people wove cloth and made bone tools like needles, scrapers, arrowheads.
15	c) Discovery of wheel	The wheel was discovered in the Neolithic period, not in the Mesolithic.
16	b) 2 only	Adamgarh has rock art and microliths, but no conclusive evidence of domestication.
17	b) Palaeolithic – Mesolithic – Neolithic	This is the correct chronological sequence of Stone Age periods.
18	c) Later Neolithic	The pottery wheel was invented during the later stages of the Neolithic period.
19	d) Use of polished stone tools	Polished tools are a defining feature of the Neolithic; pit dwellings belong to Burzahom specifically.
20	b) It is the only known hominid fossil from India.	The Hathnaura fossil from Narmada Valley is the only hominid fossil found in India.
21	b) Adamgarh	Adamgarh has both rock paintings and microliths, typical of Mesolithic culture.
22	b) People began shifting agriculture and domestication.	This marks the beginning of the transition from food gathering to food production.
23	c) Palaeolithic period	The earliest stone tools are from the Palaeolithic period, characterized by hand axes and cleavers.
24	d) Mesolithic	Pottery-making started at Sanganakallu during the Mesolithic, though it expanded in the Neolithic.
25	d) 1, 2, 3 and 4	All these crops — wheat, barley, ragi, and rice — were cultivated during the Neolithic age.