A journey through the history of Jammu, Kashmir & Ladakh
KASHMIR
THROUGH AGES
Acerca de
The Pre-Historic Era - Paleolithic Period
The term “Palaeolithic” is a Greek word “Paleo” means old and “Lithic” means stone. Therefore, the term Paleolithic Age means “Old Stone Age”. The period has been further divided into three periods on the basis of tools used by man and the climatic change which are :-
· Lower Paleolithic Age - 500000 BC to 100000 BC.
· Middle Paleolithic Age - 100000 BC to 40000 BC.
· Upper Paleolithic Age - 40000 BC to 10000 BC.
Paleolithic Cave Paintings
Geologically and geographically speaking, it was around four million years ago that ‘Pir Panjal range was further upthrusted to impound the Himalayan drainage, thus forming a vast lake. Thus the Karewa Lake originated because of the rise of the Pir Panjals. The further rise of the Pir Panjals lifted up the Lower Karewa sediments and pushed the lake towards the Himalayan flank. The Baramulla fault later breached the Pir Panjals and the Jhelum drained out the lake.The remnants of the lake beds or the karewas form the major source of our knowledge of the geology and archaeology of prehistoric times.
Paleolithic Cave Paintings
Paleolithic Earthenware
Paleolithic Earthenware
Perhaps uniquely in Asia, Kashmir provides a sequence of continuous sedimentary records of unconsolidated lacustrine deposits which go back four million years ago. Excavations in Pahalgam, Kashmir resulted in the discovery of a massive flake and a crude handaxe from well-stratified deposits of second Glacial and Second Inter Glacial periods respectively. Reconnaissance, in and around the Pahalgam valley led to the discovery of nine more tools. Two borers were identified at Ganeshpur on the left bank of Liddar, probably of the Third Glacial period, among these nine tools.
During the explorations, a Palaeolithic site of a chopper-chopping tool complex, comprising choppers, massive discoids and scrapers on top of a terrace of the Rembiara River valley at Balapura (Shopian) in South Kashmir was discovered.
Many Palaeolithic tools from habitable caves at Manasbal to include cleavers, hand axes, pointed tools and scrapers of Lower and Middle Palaeolithic period were discovered. The location of the Palaeolithic sites, bearing typical tools around the lake shores at Manasbal is testimony to the fact that humans subsequently moved down to lower altitudes and found shelter in these caves.
The location of Palaeolithic sites near lake shores is also testified to by the discovery of these at Bomai, Sopore, in North Kashmir, where a huge rock shelter was discovered bearing a hand axe along with a prehistoric rock engraving, the first of its kind found in Kashmir. This engraving of the upper Palaeolithic period depicts chase and game engagements of the prehistoric population. From the same site stone tools of the upper Palaeolithic period were reported, of smaller size than those found from Bomai and Manasbal. The Somber tool industry comprised burins, points and borers made from jasper, siliceous limestone and trap. More than 100 artefacts were collected.
Paleolithic Culture
No doubt the early Paleolithic tools were traced out from upper reaches of the Himalayas and Pir Panjal while the upper Paleolithic tools from plateaus. It is therefore, reasonable to conclude that Paleolithic man first lived on the upper reaches of the mountains and then on Wudars (plateaus), as the floor of the valley remained under water. The subsistence pattern of the early man too varied between lower and upper Paleolithic periods. In the lower period the tools appeared were big and massive, while in the upper period were small. From Wudars, numerous plants and animal fossils have been found. The fact indicates a rich assemblage of animals both of indigenous and foreign origin. Horse and elephant migrated to India from Central Africa. The presence of burins, points and borers of upper Paleolithic period depicts that man started stitching the animal hides to cover his body. Though archeologists had agreed that man during the period lived in caves as they encountered a few at Mansbal in Kashmir for dwelling.
Paleolithic Culture
References:
1. Kashmir its Aborigines and their Exodus by Colonel Tej K Tikoo Pg 24.
2. Kashmir its Pre-Historic Period by Dr. Manzoor Ahmad, Dept of History, University of Kashmir