In this Ancient History question with answer series, we will cover the entire syllabus through daily practice questions to ensure you are fully ready for your competitive exams. If you follow this series everyday, you will cover everything systematically. Through consistent revision, you will master all the core concepts. To guarantee your success in competitive exams, we will also provide a comprehensive revision question set after every 6 days. Follow along daily, practice these high-yield questions, and stay on the path to success.
Q1. Prehistory is the period of human past for which there are NO:
(A) Stone tools
(B) Cave paintings
(C) Written records
(D) Human settlements
Answer: (C) Written records
Explanation: Prehistory means the time before the invention of writing. Since there are no written records, it is reconstructed from archaeological evidence such as tools, bones, paintings and settlement remains.
Q2. The ‘Three-Age System’ (Stone, Bronze, Iron) was proposed by:
(A) V. Gordon Childe
(B) C. J. Thomsen
(C) John Lubbock
(D) Robert Bruce Foote
Answer: (B) C. J. Thomsen
Explanation: Christian Jürgensen Thomsen, a Danish archaeologist, proposed the Three-Age System while arranging museum collections in Copenhagen in the early 19th century.
Q3. The term ‘Palaeolithic’ (Old Stone Age) was coined by:
(A) John Lubbock
(B) C. J. Thomsen
(C) Hodder Westropp
(D) H. D. Sankalia
Answer: (A) John Lubbock
Explanation: Sir John Lubbock coined ‘Palaeolithic’ and ‘Neolithic’ in his book Pre-Historic Times (1865). ‘Mesolithic’ was introduced by Hodder Westropp in 1866.
Q4. The first Palaeolithic tool in India was discovered in 1863 at Pallavaram (near Madras) by:
(A) Alexander Cunningham
(B) Robert Bruce Foote
(C) V. S. Wakankar
(D) John Marshall
Answer: (B) Robert Bruce Foote
Explanation: Robert Bruce Foote of the Geological Survey of India found a Palaeolithic hand-axe at Pallavaram in 1863. He is called the ‘Father of Indian Prehistory’.
Q5. The Palaeolithic Age corresponds to which geological epoch?
(A) Holocene
(B) Pliocene
(C) Pleistocene
(D) Miocene
Answer: (C) Pleistocene
Explanation: The Palaeolithic falls in the Pleistocene (Ice Age), roughly 2.6 million to about 10,000 years ago. The Holocene begins after that and covers the Mesolithic onward.
Q6. On the basis of tool types and climatic change, the Indian Palaeolithic is divided into:
(A) Early, Middle and Late
(B) Lower, Middle and Upper
(C) Primary, Secondary and Tertiary
(D) Core, Flake and Blade
Answer: (B) Lower, Middle and Upper
Explanation: The Indian Palaeolithic is divided into Lower, Middle and Upper phases, based on the nature of stone tools and changes in climate.
Q7. Palaeolithic people mainly lived by:
(A) Agriculture and pottery
(B) Hunting and food gathering
(C) Trade in copper
(D) Cattle herding and farming
Answer: (B) Hunting and food gathering
Explanation: Palaeolithic humans were nomadic hunter-gatherers. They had no agriculture, no domesticated plants and no permanent settlements.
Q8. Which tools are the hallmark of the Lower Palaeolithic phase?
(A) Microliths
(B) Polished celts
(C) Hand-axes and cleavers
(D) Burins and awls
Answer: (C) Hand-axes and cleavers
Explanation: Hand-axes, cleavers and choppers (Acheulian type) characterise the Lower Palaeolithic. Microliths are Mesolithic, polished celts Neolithic, and burins are typical of the Upper Palaeolithic.
Q9. The Soan culture, known for pebble tools (choppers and chopping tools), is associated with:
(A) Lower Palaeolithic in the Soan valley (Punjab region)
(B) Upper Palaeolithic in the Narmada valley
(C) Neolithic in Kashmir
(D) Mesolithic in Rajasthan
Answer: (A) Lower Palaeolithic in the Soan valley (Punjab region)
Explanation: The Soan (Sohan) industry, named after the Soan river in the Punjab region (now Pakistan), is a Lower Palaeolithic pebble-tool tradition.
Q10. The Madras industry (handaxe culture), identified by R. B. Foote, belongs to which tradition?
(A) Acheulian
(B) Levalloisian
(C) Microlithic
(D) Harappan
Answer: (A) Acheulian
Explanation: Hand-axe and cleaver tools found around Madras are of the Acheulian type, a Lower Palaeolithic tradition, hence the name Madras handaxe industry.
Q11. Hunsgi and Isampur, important Lower Palaeolithic sites, are in:
(A) Karnataka
(B) Madhya Pradesh
(C) Uttar Pradesh
(D) Rajasthan
Answer: (A) Karnataka
Explanation: Hunsgi (Yadgir district) and Isampur (Bagalkot district) are Lower Palaeolithic sites in Karnataka, rich in Acheulian tools.
Q12. A fossil hominin skull found at Hathnora in the Narmada valley (1982) was discovered by:
(A) V. S. Wakankar
(B) Arun Sonakia
(C) B. B. Lal
(D) G. R. Sharma
Answer: (B) Arun Sonakia
Explanation: Arun Sonakia of the Geological Survey of India found the Hathnora skull cap (Madhya Pradesh). It is the only early human fossil found in India and is assigned to archaic Homo (Homo erectus/early Homo sapiens).
Q13. The Middle Palaeolithic culture is chiefly characterised by:
(A) Flake tools such as scrapers, points and borers
(B) Pottery and polished axes
(C) Copper tools
(D) Iron implements
Answer: (A) Flake tools such as scrapers, points and borers
Explanation: Middle Palaeolithic tools are mostly flakes made on chert, jasper and flint, including scrapers, points, borers and blades. It is often called the flake culture.
Q14. Nevasa, an important Middle Palaeolithic site, lies on the river:
(A) Narmada
(B) Pravara
(C) Son
(D) Belan
Answer: (B) Pravara
Explanation: Nevasa (Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra) is on the Pravara river. It was studied by H. D. Sankalia and yielded Middle Palaeolithic flake tools.
Q15. The Upper Palaeolithic is notable for:
(A) Appearance of modern humans (Homo sapiens) and blade-and-burin tools
(B) Beginning of agriculture
(C) Use of iron
(D) Rise of cities
Answer: (A) Appearance of modern humans (Homo sapiens) and blade-and-burin tools
Explanation: The Upper Palaeolithic saw the emergence of Homo sapiens, finer blade technology, burins and bone tools, along with cave art.
Q16. Which cave region in Andhra Pradesh has yielded Upper Palaeolithic bone tools and ornaments?
(A) Kurnool caves
(B) Ajanta caves
(C) Udayagiri caves
(D) Elephanta caves
Answer: (A) Kurnool caves
Explanation: The Kurnool caves (Billasurgam group) have produced bone tools, animal bones and ornaments of the Upper Palaeolithic.
Q17. The famous rock shelters of Bhimbetka are in which district of Madhya Pradesh?
(A) Raisen
(B) Sagar
(C) Ujjain
(D) Hoshangabad
Answer: (A) Raisen
Explanation: Bhimbetka is in Raisen district, near Bhopal, in the Vindhya foothills. It has over 700 rock shelters with paintings from the Palaeolithic to historic times.
Q18. Bhimbetka was discovered in 1957-58 by ____ and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in ____.
(A) V. S. Wakankar; 2003
(B) B. B. Lal; 1985
(C) H. D. Sankalia; 1998
(D) R. B. Foote; 2010
Answer: (A) V. S. Wakankar; 2003
Explanation: V. S. Wakankar discovered the Bhimbetka rock shelters. UNESCO inscribed them as a World Heritage Site in 2003.
Q19. The dominant colours in the Bhimbetka rock paintings are:
(A) Blue and black
(B) Red and white
(C) Pink and violet
(D) Gold and silver
Answer: (B) Red and white
Explanation: Red (from haematite/ochre) and white are the principal colours, with green and yellow used less often. The paintings show animals, hunting, dancing and community scenes.
Q20. Which of these is NOT a common theme of Bhimbetka rock art?
(A) Hunting scenes
(B) Dancing groups
(C) Wild animals
(D) Iron weapons-making factories
Answer: (D) Iron weapons-making factories
Explanation: Rock art depicts hunting, dance, animals, riders and community life. Iron-making is not depicted as the earliest paintings predate the Iron Age.
Q21. The knowledge of fire is traditionally associated with which age?
(A) Palaeolithic
(B) Neolithic
(C) Chalcolithic
(D) Iron Age
Answer: (A) Palaeolithic
Explanation: Fire was known to Palaeolithic people. It gave warmth, protection from animals and the ability to cook food.
Q22. Palaeolithic people mostly took shelter in:
(A) Mud-brick houses
(B) Caves and rock shelters
(C) Burnt-brick houses
(D) Cities with walls
Answer: (B) Caves and rock shelters
Explanation: They used natural caves, rock shelters and temporary camps, usually close to water sources and hunting grounds.
Q23. Microliths (tiny stone tools) are the characteristic feature of the:
(A) Lower Palaeolithic
(B) Mesolithic
(C) Neolithic
(D) Chalcolithic
Answer: (B) Mesolithic
Explanation: Microliths such as small blades, points and geometric shapes were fixed on wood or bone handles. They define the Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) culture.
Q24. The Mesolithic Age corresponds to which epoch?
(A) Pleistocene
(B) Holocene
(C) Eocene
(D) Oligocene
Answer: (B) Holocene
Explanation: The Mesolithic (c. 10,000-6000 BCE) began with the Holocene, when the climate became warmer and wetter and the Ice Age ended.
Q25. Bagor in Rajasthan, important for early domestication of animals, is on the banks of the river:
(A) Banas
(B) Kothari
(C) Chambal
(D) Luni
Answer: (B) Kothari
Explanation: Bagor (Bhilwara district) lies on the Kothari river. Along with Adamgarh (MP), it provides some of the earliest evidence of domesticated animals in India.
Q26. Adamgarh, a Mesolithic site with early evidence of animal domestication, is in:
(A) Hoshangabad district, Madhya Pradesh
(B) Raisen district, Madhya Pradesh
(C) Ajmer, Rajasthan
(D) Nashik, Maharashtra
Answer: (A) Hoshangabad district, Madhya Pradesh
Explanation: Adamgarh hills in Hoshangabad (now Narmadapuram) district, MP, have yielded bones of domesticated animals such as dog, cattle, sheep and goat.
Q27. Sarai Nahar Rai and Mahadaha, Mesolithic sites known for human burials and skeletal remains, are in:
(A) Uttar Pradesh
(B) Gujarat
(C) Kerala
(D) Bihar
Answer: (A) Uttar Pradesh
Explanation: Both sites are in the Pratapgarh district of UP (Ganga plain). They show human burials, hearths and bone and horn objects.
Q28. Langhnaj, a Mesolithic site with microliths and human skeletons, is in:
(A) Gujarat
(B) Odisha
(C) Punjab
(D) Assam
Answer: (A) Gujarat
Explanation: Langhnaj (north Gujarat) yielded microliths, animal bones and human burials of Mesolithic hunter-gatherers.
Q29. Which animal was the first to be domesticated by humans?
(A) Cow
(B) Dog
(C) Horse
(D) Sheep
Answer: (B) Dog
Explanation: The dog was the earliest domesticated animal, used for hunting and guarding. Evidence from Mesolithic India supports this.
Q30. The term ‘Neolithic Revolution’ was popularised by:
(A) V. Gordon Childe
(B) John Marshall
(C) Mortimer Wheeler
(D) Stuart Piggott
Answer: (A) V. Gordon Childe
Explanation: V. Gordon Childe coined ‘Neolithic Revolution’ for the shift from food gathering to food production (agriculture and animal husbandry). He also coined ‘Urban Revolution’.
Q31. Which of the following is a characteristic of the Neolithic Age?
(A) Polished stone tools, pottery and agriculture
(B) Only chipped stone tools
(C) Use of iron
(D) Writing and cities
Answer: (A) Polished stone tools, pottery and agriculture
Explanation: The Neolithic (New Stone Age) is marked by polished stone tools (celts), pottery, settled farming, domestication of animals and village life.
Q32. Mehrgarh, the earliest Neolithic site of the subcontinent, is located near the Bolan river in:
(A) Balochistan
(B) Sindh
(C) Kashmir
(D) Rajasthan
Answer: (A) Balochistan
Explanation: Mehrgarh (c. 7000 BCE) in Balochistan was excavated by Jean-François Jarrige. It shows early farming, herding and pre-Harappan roots.
Q33. Which crops were cultivated at Mehrgarh?
(A) Wheat and barley
(B) Rice and sugarcane
(C) Maize and potato
(D) Tea and jute
Answer: (A) Wheat and barley
Explanation: Wheat and barley were the main crops. Maize and potato came from the Americas much later.
Q34. Pit dwellings are a feature of which Neolithic site?
(A) Burzahom
(B) Brahmagiri
(C) Chirand
(D) Hallur
Answer: (A) Burzahom
Explanation: Burzahom (Srinagar, Kashmir) had pit dwellings dug into the ground to protect people from the cold. Its name means ‘place of birch’.
Q35. Burzahom is also notable for the burial of:
(A) Dogs along with their masters
(B) Horses with warriors
(C) Elephants
(D) Cattle in separate cemeteries only
Answer: (A) Dogs along with their masters
Explanation: Burzahom shows domestic dogs buried with their owners, a rare feature that reflects the bond between them.
Q36. The Neolithic site Gufkral, whose name means ‘cave of the potter’, is in:
(A) Kashmir
(B) Bihar
(C) Tamil Nadu
(D) Odisha
Answer: (A) Kashmir
Explanation: Gufkral is in Kashmir. Like Burzahom, it shows pit dwellings, early farming and pottery.
Q37. Chirand, a Neolithic site known for bone tools, is in which state?
(A) Bihar
(B) Gujarat
(C) Maharashtra
(D) Karnataka
Answer: (A) Bihar
Explanation: Chirand (Saran district, Bihar, on the Ganga) is known for Neolithic and Chalcolithic remains, especially bone tools and varied crops such as rice, wheat, barley and lentil.
Q38. Koldihwa in the Belan valley (Uttar Pradesh) provides the earliest evidence of:
(A) Rice cultivation
(B) Iron smelting
(C) Writing
(D) City planning
Answer: (A) Rice cultivation
Explanation: Rice husk impressions at Koldihwa suggest very early rice cultivation in the Belan valley, making it among the earliest in India.
Q39. Brahmagiri, Maski and Piklihal are important Neolithic sites in:
(A) Karnataka
(B) Punjab
(C) Assam
(D) Haryana
Answer: (A) Karnataka
Explanation: These are southern Neolithic sites in Karnataka. Other major ones are Tekkalakota, Hallur and Sanganakallu.
Q40. Ash mounds such as those at Utnur are linked with:
(A) Neolithic cattle herders of the south
(B) Harappan cities
(C) Vedic rituals
(D) Mauryan palaces
Answer: (A) Neolithic cattle herders of the south
Explanation: Ash mounds found at Utnur and Kupgal were formed by burning large amounts of cattle dung, probably by cattle-herding Neolithic communities of the Deccan.
Q41. Which crops were typically grown by Neolithic people of south India?
(A) Ragi and horse gram
(B) Wheat and oats
(C) Tea and coffee
(D) Cotton and jute
Answer: (A) Ragi and horse gram
Explanation: Neolithic farmers of the south grew ragi (finger millet) and horse gram, along with kept cattle, sheep and goat.
Q42. Daojali Hading, a Neolithic site of north-east India, is located in:
(A) Assam
(B) Kerala
(C) Haryana
(D) Goa
Answer: (A) Assam
Explanation: Daojali Hading is in the Dima Hasao district of Assam. It has yielded polished stone tools and handmade pottery.
Q43. The word ‘Chalcolithic’ refers to the use of:
(A) Copper along with stone
(B) Bronze only
(C) Iron and steel
(D) Gold and silver
Answer: (A) Copper along with stone
Explanation: Chalcolithic comes from Greek chalkos (copper) and lithos (stone). It marks the first use of metal, copper, alongside stone tools.
Q44. The Ahar (Banas) culture is found in:
(A) Rajasthan
(B) Maharashtra
(C) Bengal
(D) Kerala
Answer: (A) Rajasthan
Explanation: The Ahar-Banas culture (Udaipur region, Rajasthan, c. 2100-1500 BCE) is a Chalcolithic culture, also known as Tambavati (‘copper’) culture, with copper smelting.
Q45. Navdatoli, a major Malwa culture site, lies on the banks of the:
(A) Narmada
(B) Ganga
(C) Krishna
(D) Godavari
Answer: (A) Narmada
Explanation: Navdatoli (Madhya Pradesh) lies on the Narmada opposite Maheshwar. It was excavated by H. D. Sankalia and shows Malwa Chalcolithic culture.
Q46. Inamgaon, a large Jorwe culture site, is on the river:
(A) Ghod
(B) Tapti
(C) Cauvery
(D) Mahanadi
Answer: (A) Ghod
Explanation: Inamgaon (Pune district, Maharashtra) is on the Ghod river, a Bhima tributary. It shows fortified settlements, granaries and burials of children inside houses.
Q47. Daimabad in Maharashtra is famous for its:
(A) Bronze objects
(B) Rock paintings
(C) Iron pillars
(D) Silver coins
Answer: (A) Bronze objects
Explanation: Daimabad (Ahmednagar district, on the Pravara) yielded bronze figures such as a chariot with oxen, buffalo, rhinoceros and elephant, showing Harappan links.
Q48. Which Chalcolithic pottery is regarded as the richest and finest?
(A) Malwa ware
(B) Ochre coloured ware
(C) Painted grey ware
(D) Northern black polished ware
Answer: (A) Malwa ware
Explanation: Malwa ware is considered the richest ceramic of the Chalcolithic. Painted grey ware and NBPW belong to later periods.
Q49. Which one of the following was generally NOT known to Chalcolithic farmers?
(A) Copper
(B) Painted pottery
(C) Iron
(D) Cultivation of cereals
Answer: (C) Iron
Explanation: Iron was not generally known in the Chalcolithic stage. Copper, painted pottery and cereal farming were all in use.
Q50. The megalithic burial monuments (menhirs, dolmens, cists, cairns) are mostly found in:
(A) Peninsular and southern India
(B) Only Kashmir
(C) Only Bengal
(D) Only Punjab
Answer: (A) Peninsular and southern India
Explanation: Megaliths (‘big stones’) are concentrated in the Deccan and south India, linked with the Iron Age. They were burial monuments, and often have black-and-red ware and iron tools.
We hope you are following these Ancient History questions everyday to maximize your preparation. Remember that consistent revision is the key to success in competitive exams, which is why our special day 6 revision question sets will help you follow and practice effectively. Stay dedicated to the series, follow every update, and keep practicing to get the success you deserve.
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