RAS question
Neolithic tools are distinguished from Paleolithic tools primarily by:
Correct answer: (B) Polishing and grinding of stone tools.
Neolithic tools are distinguished from Paleolithic tools primarily by the polishing and grinding of stone tools.
Explanation
Neolithic tools are identified above all by the technique used to make them: stone was ground and polished to produce tools such as ground stone axes and celts. Britannica describes the Neolithic, or New Stone Age, as characterised by stone tools shaped through polishing or grinding. The primary distinction from Paleolithic tools is therefore polished or ground stone technology, in contrast with chipped or flaked stone tools. The Mesolithic comparison also helps fix the sequence: microliths belong to the Mesolithic, while polished and ground stone implements mark the Neolithic. Copper and iron point to later metal-using phases, not the defining tool-making method of the Neolithic.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Smaller size is not the primary marker here; Neolithic tools are defined by polished and ground stone technology, unlike chipped or flaked Paleolithic tools.
- (C) Copper use does not define Neolithic tools; the relevant distinction is stone tools shaped by polishing and grinding.
- (D) Iron use belongs outside the stone-tool distinction being tested, which separates Neolithic polished or ground stone tools from Paleolithic chipped or flaked tools.
Concept
This tests the Stone Age sequence in ancient Indian history, especially how archaeologists distinguish phases by tool technology. It recurs in RAS because Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic cultures are often separated through their material remains.