Chalcolithic Phase MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Chalcolithic Phase - Download Free PDF

The correct answer is Ganeshwar.

Key Points

Ganeshwar:

• Location: Sikar district, Rajasthan, India.
  • Copper Metallurgy: Ganeshwar is renowned for the discovery of a vast number of copper artifacts, including tools, weapons, and ornaments.
  • Chalcolithic Period: This site is a significant Chalcolithic settlement known for its copper-using culture during the Chalcolithic era (also known as the Copper Age).
  • Artifacts: The artifacts found at Ganeshwar highlight the advanced state of copper metallurgy, indicating the possibility of local mining and smelting activities.

Additional Information

Banawali:

• Location: Hisar district, Haryana, India.
• Cultural Association: Indus Valley Civilization (Harappan culture).
  • Not specifically a Chalcolithic site but a well-known Harappan settlement.
  • Excavations have revealed complex urban structures, seals, terracotta figurines, and pottery.
  • The importance of Banawali lies in its urban planning and artifacts associated with Harappan civilization rather than copper metallurgy.

Inamgaon:

• Location: Near Pune, Maharashtra, India.
• Cultural Association: Late Jorwe culture of the Deccan Chalcolithic period.
• • Artifacts include pottery, terracotta figurines, and evidence of agricultural tools.
  • Inamgaon has less emphasis on copper artifacts compared to Ganeshwar.
  Noted for agricultural activities, house structures, and burial practices.

Mehrgarh:

• Location: Balochistan, Pakistan, near the Bolan Pass.
• Cultural Association: Neolithic period.
• • Famous for early evidence of farming, animal domestication, and early pottery.
  • Not recognized for copper artifacts, as its significance lies in early farming practices and Neolithic technological advancements
  One of the earliest known agricultural settlements in South Asia.

The correct answer is: 'option 4'.

Note: This question is marked as deleted in the official answer key

Key Points

• Option 4: Jorve is a Chalcolithic site, which belongs to Malwa culture.
  • This statement is false. Jorve is a Chalcolithic site, but it is associated with the *Ahar-Banas* culture, not the Malwa culture.
  • The Malwa culture is represented by sites like *Mohenjodaro* and *Nagda*, and it is known for its distinctive pottery, metalworking, and urban planning.

Correct Statements

• Option 1: Chalcolithic Cultures were predominantly a rural culture.
  • This statement is correct. Chalcolithic cultures were largely rural, characterized by settled agricultural communities. The people engaged in agriculture, pottery making, and metalworking but did not yet have complex urban systems.
• Option 2: The people of Chalcolithic Cultures mostly lived near hills and rivers.
  • This statement is correct. The Chalcolithic people typically settled near rivers and hills, as these areas provided fertile land for agriculture, access to water for daily needs, and natural resources for tools and pottery.
• Option 3: Black and red ware were widely used in these cultures.
  • This statement is correct. Black and red ware pottery is commonly associated with the Chalcolithic period, particularly in regions like the Deccan Plateau and parts of central India, where these ceramics were produced and used for various domestic purposes.

Hence, the false statement is: Jorve is a Chalcolithic site, which belongs to Malwa culture.

Additional Information

• Chalcolithic Cultures in India:
  • The Chalcolithic period (also called the Copper Age) in India dates back to around 2000-1200 BCE and is characterized by the use of copper tools and weapons along with stone tools.
  • Key Chalcolithic cultures in India include the Ahar-Banas, Malwa, and Jorwe cultures, each with distinct features in terms of pottery, settlements, and metalworking techniques.
• Jorve Site and Ahar-Banas Culture:
  • The Jorve site, associated with the Ahar-Banas culture, is located in the western part of India and is notable for its urban planning, pottery, and evidence of copper and bronze tools.

The correct answer is Copper.

Key Points

• Copper was the first metal used by men.
• Copper was first used by man over 10,000 years ago.
• Probably copper can be found as a naturally occurring native metal that is sometimes found in large lumps on the ground.
• People learned to make this into copper tools and other things, although, for a metal, it is quite soft.
• When it was melted over the fire, people learned how to make an alloy called bronze, which is much harder and stronger than copper.
• Iron is the most abundant metal found on Earth.
• The Chalcolithic or Copper Age is the transitional period between the Neolithic and the Bronze Age.

The correct answer is Eran.

Key Points

Eran

• Eran is an ancient town and archaeological site in the Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh, India.
•  It was one of the ancient mints for Indian dynasties as evidenced by the diverse coins excavated here.
• The site has 5th and 6th-century Gupta era temples and monuments, particularly the colossal stone boar with sages and scholars depicted on the body of the sculpture.
• The inscription stones found at Eran are important to reconstructing the chronology of Gupta Empire history.
• . Eran or Erakina was the capital of Erakina (Airikina) Pradesha or Airkina Vishaya, an administrative division of the Gupta empire.
• The first epigraphic evidence of Sati has been found from Eran Pillar Inscription of Bhanugupta, Madhya Pradesh. Some records suggest that the first example of Sati appears in the Gupta Period in 510 AD.

Additional Information

Bhimbetka

• ​The Bhimbetka rock shelters are an archaeological site in central India that spans the Paleolithic and Mesolithic periods, as well as the historic period.
• It exhibits the earliest traces of human life in India and evidence of Stone Age starting at the site in Acheulian times.
• It is located in the Raisen District in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh about 45 kilometres (28 mi) south-east of Bhopal.
• It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that consists of seven hills.

Adamgarh

• Adamgarh Hills is located in the Hoshangabad town of the Hoshangabad district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
• Adamgarh Hills are famous for the pre-historic rock shelters and rock paintings found in the hills. Stone age artefacts, lower palaeolithic and Mesolithic implements have been excavated here.

Gyaraspur

• ​Gyaraspur is at town in the Vidisha district, Madhya Pradesh, India. It is also the headquarters of a tehsil of the same name.
• Gyaraspur was of considerable importance in medieval India.
• The place has several ruins of several old Hindu, Jain and Buddhist places of worship. \These include Maladevi Temple, Hindola Torna and the Bajramath Surya Temple

The correct answer is Kayatha.

Key Points

Kayatha

• Kaytha or Kayatha is a village and an archaeological site in the Ujjain district of Madhya Pradesh, India, in the Tarana tehsil, near the city of Ujjain, on the banks of Choti-Kali Sindh river.
• It is an archeologically and mythologically important village where several excavations have revealed cultures dating back to more than 4000 years, also said to be the birthplace of Chitragupt, a Hindu deity, in Southern scriptures and of Varahamihira, an ancient Indian astronomer.
• The archeologically important Kayatha culture was discovered by V. S. Wakankar in 1964.
• ​The Kayatha culture represents the earliest known agriculture settlement in the present-day Malwa region.
• It also featured advanced copper metallurgy and stone blade industry.
• Using calibrated radiocarbon, Dhavalikar dated this culture to a period spanning from 2400 BCE to 2000 BCE.

Additional Information

Eran

• ​Eran is an ancient town and archaeological site in the Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh, India.
•  It was one of the ancient mints for Indian dynasties as evidenced by the diverse coins excavated here.
• The site has 5th and 6th-century Gupta era temples and monuments, particularly the colossal stone boar with sages and scholars depicted on the body of the sculpture.
• The inscription stones found at Eran are important to reconstructing the chronology of Gupta Empire history.
• . Eran or Erakina was the capital of Erakina (Airikina) Pradesha or Airkina Vishaya, an administrative division of the Gupta empire.

Navdatoli

• Navdatoli refers to both a modern day village and a chalcolithic era settlement located on the Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh in central India.
• The ancient village was inhabited through four stages each defined by distinctly different types of pottery.
• The site was excavated between 1957 and 1959 over two seasons.Both the village and the site are located roughly a mile south of the modern day town of Maheshwar.

Teonthar

• ​Teonthar is a town and a nagar panchayat in Rewa district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
• Teonthar was once ruled by the Kol dynasty kings . Teonthar lies on one of the oldest routes between north India and south India.
• Teonthar is also known for its Deor kothar stupas. These Buddhists stupas are credited to the Mauryan emperor, Ashoka.

The correct answer is Copper.

Key Points

• Copper was the first metal used by men.
• Copper was first used by man over 10,000 years ago.
• Probably copper can be found as a naturally occurring native metal that is sometimes found in large lumps on the ground.
• People learned to make this into copper tools and other things, although, for a metal, it is quite soft.
• When it was melted over the fire, people learned how to make an alloy called bronze, which is much harder and stronger than copper.
• Iron is the most abundant metal found on Earth.
• The Chalcolithic or Copper Age is the transitional period between the Neolithic and the Bronze Age.

The correct answer is Eran.

Key Points

Eran

• Eran is an ancient town and archaeological site in the Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh, India.
•  It was one of the ancient mints for Indian dynasties as evidenced by the diverse coins excavated here.
• The site has 5th and 6th-century Gupta era temples and monuments, particularly the colossal stone boar with sages and scholars depicted on the body of the sculpture.
• The inscription stones found at Eran are important to reconstructing the chronology of Gupta Empire history.
• . Eran or Erakina was the capital of Erakina (Airikina) Pradesha or Airkina Vishaya, an administrative division of the Gupta empire.
• The first epigraphic evidence of Sati has been found from Eran Pillar Inscription of Bhanugupta, Madhya Pradesh. Some records suggest that the first example of Sati appears in the Gupta Period in 510 AD.

Additional Information

Bhimbetka

• ​The Bhimbetka rock shelters are an archaeological site in central India that spans the Paleolithic and Mesolithic periods, as well as the historic period.
• It exhibits the earliest traces of human life in India and evidence of Stone Age starting at the site in Acheulian times.
• It is located in the Raisen District in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh about 45 kilometres (28 mi) south-east of Bhopal.
• It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that consists of seven hills.

Adamgarh

• Adamgarh Hills is located in the Hoshangabad town of the Hoshangabad district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
• Adamgarh Hills are famous for the pre-historic rock shelters and rock paintings found in the hills. Stone age artefacts, lower palaeolithic and Mesolithic implements have been excavated here.

Gyaraspur

• ​Gyaraspur is at town in the Vidisha district, Madhya Pradesh, India. It is also the headquarters of a tehsil of the same name.
• Gyaraspur was of considerable importance in medieval India.
• The place has several ruins of several old Hindu, Jain and Buddhist places of worship. \These include Maladevi Temple, Hindola Torna and the Bajramath Surya Temple

The correct answer is Kayatha.

Key Points

Kayatha

• Kaytha or Kayatha is a village and an archaeological site in the Ujjain district of Madhya Pradesh, India, in the Tarana tehsil, near the city of Ujjain, on the banks of Choti-Kali Sindh river.
• It is an archeologically and mythologically important village where several excavations have revealed cultures dating back to more than 4000 years, also said to be the birthplace of Chitragupt, a Hindu deity, in Southern scriptures and of Varahamihira, an ancient Indian astronomer.
• The archeologically important Kayatha culture was discovered by V. S. Wakankar in 1964.
• ​The Kayatha culture represents the earliest known agriculture settlement in the present-day Malwa region.
• It also featured advanced copper metallurgy and stone blade industry.
• Using calibrated radiocarbon, Dhavalikar dated this culture to a period spanning from 2400 BCE to 2000 BCE.

Additional Information

Eran

• ​Eran is an ancient town and archaeological site in the Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh, India.
•  It was one of the ancient mints for Indian dynasties as evidenced by the diverse coins excavated here.
• The site has 5th and 6th-century Gupta era temples and monuments, particularly the colossal stone boar with sages and scholars depicted on the body of the sculpture.
• The inscription stones found at Eran are important to reconstructing the chronology of Gupta Empire history.
• . Eran or Erakina was the capital of Erakina (Airikina) Pradesha or Airkina Vishaya, an administrative division of the Gupta empire.

Navdatoli

• Navdatoli refers to both a modern day village and a chalcolithic era settlement located on the Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh in central India.
• The ancient village was inhabited through four stages each defined by distinctly different types of pottery.
• The site was excavated between 1957 and 1959 over two seasons.Both the village and the site are located roughly a mile south of the modern day town of Maheshwar.

Teonthar

• ​Teonthar is a town and a nagar panchayat in Rewa district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
• Teonthar was once ruled by the Kol dynasty kings . Teonthar lies on one of the oldest routes between north India and south India.
• Teonthar is also known for its Deor kothar stupas. These Buddhists stupas are credited to the Mauryan emperor, Ashoka.

The correct answer is Maheshwar.

Key Points

Navdatoli

• Navdatoli refers to both a modern-day village and a chalcolithic era settlement located on the Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh in central India.
• The ancient village was inhabited through four stages each defined by distinctly different types of pottery.
• The site was excavated between 1957 and 1959 over two seasons. Both the village and the site are located roughly a mile south of the modern-day town of Maheshwar.
• Maheshwar and Navdatoli are situated in one of the fertile alluvial stretches and on the opposite banks of the Narmada river.
• The sites were jointly excavated by H.D. Sankalia, S.B. Deo and Z.D. Ansari, first in 1952-53 and further horizontal excavations were undertaken in 1957-59.

Additional Information

Chalcolithic Age

• It starts from 4000 to 1200 BC.
• It began after the Neolithic Age.
• It is also called the Copper Stone Age.
• At this age, metal began to use for making tools.
• Copper was the first metal used by human beings.

Main Chalcolithic sites in Madhya Pradesh

• Kaytha
• Nagda
• Maheshwar
• Navdatoli
• Eran
• Aavra
• Besnagar

Jorwe Culture:

• Jorwe culture was a Chalcolithic archaeological culture that was first discovered in Maharashtra.
• The culture was spread to the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh.
• Jorwe is actually a village on the banks of the Godavari River in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra.
• The culture is named after it because of the archaeological site located in the village.

Bairath is NOT correct.

• Bairath belongs to Iron Age Civilization, not Ahar culture.
  • It is located in the Jaipur district.
  • It was known as 'Viratnagar' in ancient times and was the capital of Matsya Mahajanpada.

Key Points

• Ahar culture also known as Banas culture was a civilization belonging to the Chalcolithic Age.
• Ahar is situated in the Udaipur district.
• Its ancient name is Tamravati Nagar.
  • 'Tamra' is the ancient Hindi word for copper.
• Black and Red ware pottery were found here.
• Evidence shows that people lived here in a joint family.

Additional Information

The term Chalcolithic is a combination of two words- Chalco+Lithic was derived from the Greek words "khalkos" + "líthos" which means "copper" and "stone" or Copper Age.

• It is also known as the Eneolithic (from Latin aeneus "of copper") is an archaeological period that is usually considered to be part of the broader Neolithic (although it was originally defined as a transition between the Neolithic and the Bronze Age).
• The first metal age of India is called the Chalcolithic Age which saw the use of copper along with the stone.
• It was also called Stone-Copper Age. Along with the use of copper and stone, these people also used low-grade bronze to make tools and weapons.
• Chronologically, there are several settlements.
• In India, it spanned around 2000 BC to 700 BC. This culture was mainly seen in the Pre-Harappan phase, but at many places, it extended to the Post-Harappan phase too.
• The people were mostly rural and lived near hills and rivers.
• The Chalcolithic culture corresponds to the farming communities, namely Kayatha, Ahar or Banas, Malwa, and Jorwe.
• It was mainly found in South-Eastern Rajasthan, the Western part of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, and in South and East India.

Thus, we can conclude that the Chalcolithic cultures of India were not restricted to the Ganga-Yamuna doab and foothills of the Himalayas. 

The correct answer is Copper.

Key Points

• Copper was the first metal used by men.
• Copper was first used by man over 10,000 years ago.
• Probably copper can be found as a naturally occurring native metal that is sometimes found in large lumps on the ground.
• People learned to make this into copper tools and other things, although, for a metal, it is quite soft.
• When it was melted over the fire, people learned how to make an alloy called bronze, which is much harder and stronger than copper.
• Iron is the most abundant metal found on Earth.
• The Chalcolithic or Copper Age is the transitional period between the Neolithic and the Bronze Age.