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Glossary Terms
| Term (EN) | Definition | Exam Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Palaeolithic | The Old Stone Age (c. 600,000–10,000 BCE); characterised by large chipped stone tools; Rajasthan evidence from Luni basin and Didwana | Low — context for Mesolithic |
| Mesolithic | Middle Stone Age (c. 10,000–3000 BCE); characterised by microlithic tools, early pastoralism, rock art; Rajasthan's Bagore is primary example | High |
| Microlith | Tiny geometric blades (triangles, lunates) made from chert; hafted into composite weapons; diagnostic Mesolithic artefact across Rajasthan | Medium |
| Chalcolithic | Copper-Stone Age (c. 3000–1000 BCE); simultaneous use of copper and stone; Rajasthan's richest prehistoric period with Ahar-Banas and Ganeshwar | High |
| Ahar-Banas Culture | Rajasthan's primary Chalcolithic complex (c. 2800–1500 BCE); 90+ sites in Banas-Berach basin; identified by black-and-red ware and copper artefacts | High |
| Black-and-Red Ware (BRW) | Pottery fired by inversion technique producing black exterior and red interior; diagnostic marker of Ahar-Banas Culture across all 90+ sites | High |
| Ganeshwar | Chalcolithic site in Sikar district; yielded 900+ copper artefacts (arrowheads, spearheads, fishhooks); called "copper capital of Chalcolithic India" | High |
| Kalibangan | Rajasthan's only major Harappan site (Hanumangarh); on Ghaggar (ancient Sarasvati) river; excavated by B.B. Lal and B.K. Thapar (1961–69) | High |
| Pre-Harappan ploughed field | Kalibangan feature (c. 2800 BCE) — world's oldest evidence of a ploughed field; criss-cross furrow pattern still archaeologically visible | High |
| Double Fortification | Kalibangan's unique feature: both citadel (upper town) AND lower town separately walled; absent at Mohenjo-daro and Harappa | High |
| Fire Altars | Ritual fire altars found on Kalibangan's citadel; ash pits below; evidence of fire-cult unique in Harappan world | High |
| Khetri Copper Belt | Copper ore deposits in Sikar-Jhunjhunu area; ore source for Ganeshwar's production; ore-source studies link to Harappan city copper objects | High |
| Bagore | Mesolithic site on Kothari River, Bhilwara; V.N. Misra (1967–70); documents cattle/sheep/goat domestication c. 5000 BCE; three occupational phases | High |
| Bairath (Viratnagar) | Ancient Matsya Mahajanapada capital (Jaipur district); two Ashokan Minor Rock Edicts; circular Buddhist shrine; Mahabharata agyatvas site | High |
| Matsya Mahajanapada | One of 16 Mahajanapadas (c. 600 BCE); capital at Bairath; modern Rajasthan's Jaipur-Bharatpur region; contemporary with Kashi, Magadha | Medium |
| Ghosundi Inscription | 1st century BCE Sanskrit Brahmi inscription at Nagari (Chittorgarh); mentions Vāsudeva-Saṃkarṣaṇa worship; Rajasthan's earliest Sanskrit epigraphic record | High |
| Nagari (Madhyamika) | Shibi tribe capital (Chittorgarh district); Greek-influenced city; Ghosundi inscription; first-century BCE urban settlement on Berach river | Medium |
| Rairh | Rajasthan's largest early historic site (Tonk district); 3,000+ Malava-era copper punch-marked coins; iron implements; 2nd–1st century BCE urban settlement | Medium |
| Tilwara | Mesolithic site on Luni River (Barmer district); B.V. Upadhyaya's excavation (1962–63); confirms Mesolithic occupation in western desert zone | Medium |
| Balathal | Ahar-Banas site (Udaipur); excavated 1993–2006 by V.S. Shinde; first direct evidence of copper smelting furnaces within an Ahar-Banas settlement | High |
| Ochre Coloured Pottery (OCP) | Pottery type associated with Ganeshwar copper hoards complex; orange-buff fabric with ochre slip; bridges late Chalcolithic and early Harappan phases | Medium |
| Rock Art (Shailchitra) | Prehistoric cave paintings; Rajasthan sites at Kanyadeh (Baran), Darrah (Kota), Chambal valley; hunting, animals, geometric motifs; Mesolithic to early historic | Medium |
| Ahar (Dhulkot) | Type site of Ahar-Banas Culture (Udaipur); locally called Dhulkot; first excavated by R.C. Agrawala (1953–54); gives the culture its name | High |
| Didwana | Salt lake area in Nagaur district; richest Palaeolithic assemblage in Rajasthan; handaxes and Levallois flakes in quartzite; lake-margin habitation zone | Low |
| A. Ghosh | Archaeological Survey of India director who identified Kalibangan in 1952 during a field survey; formal excavations began 1961 under B.B. Lal | Medium |
Topic 1 of 138 | Paper I, Unit 1 — History | Generated: 2026-04-06