• The ‘neolithic Age’ or the ‘New Stone Age’ in the Indian subcontinent dates back to around 8000 BC. The term ‘Neolithic’ was coined by Jonn Lubbock. The chief characteristic of this age was the new type of ground and polished stone tools. The Neolithic culture had following characteristics:
• Beginning of agricultural activities
• Domestication of animals
• Grinding and polishing of stone tools having sharper edges
• Use of pottery
• beginning of settled life and the growth of village settlements

Tools

• The Neolithic tools consist of the ground tools having smooth surfaces, and wellrounded and symmetrical shapes. The grinding made the tools sharper, polished and more effective than those in the earlier period. 
• The ground stone tools of the Neolithic period included different types of axes called ‘celt’. 
• Besides the stone tools, the sites of this period have also yielded various types of bone objects such as needles,scrapers, borers, arrowheads, pendants, bangles and earrings.

The various Neolithic sites of the Indian subcontinent and the findings include:

• North-western region – The areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan-At Mergarh the earliest evidence of plant and animal domestication can be seen.
• Northern region – The region of Kashmir- evidence of pit dwellings is found.
• The Belan valley – Neolithic sites have cord-marked pottery and produced evidence for transition from hunting gathering to agriculture.

• The Belan valley – Neolithic sites have cord-marked pottery and produced evidence for transition from hunting gathering to agriculture.
• Fourth region (Peripheral Sites): Bihar, Jharkhand, Bengal, and Assam included the Late Neolithic Age. They were the earliest farming communities in these regions.

• They were mainly of the Neolithic-Chalcolithic phase.
• Chirand (Saran, Bihar) is the most important site.

• The Vindhyan hills and the Ganga valley – show evidence of plant and animal domestication
• North-eastern region – Assam and the sub-Himalayan region- traits of shouldered axes, Cord marked and paddle impressed potteries are found .
• Southern region – Peninsular India, mainly Andhra, Karnataka and parts of Tamil Nadu- Ash mounds in the early stages and evidence of plant and animal domestication is found

Social Organization and Belief System

• People began to live in sedentary and semi sedentary settlements. They perhaps had tribe level social organization. 
• The idea of land and plant ownership emerged, as they domesticated plants and animals. The presence of small houses may suggest nuclear families. 
• The ceramics and beads suggest the improvement in material cultural production. 
• People had demarcated certain territories. 
• The dead were buried within the houses and sometimes, animal burials are also found. They suggest the adoption of certain rituals and the worship of the dead.
• They may have worshipped the natural forces. Evidence of art objects is limited; the terracotta images of cattle suggest some fertility cult.

1) Neolithic period of age is not characterized by (1980) UPSC 

(a) Agriculture

(b) Use of coper

(c) Domestication of animals

d) Fishing

Ans: B