Prehistory & Stone Age MCQs for UPSC Prelims

37 practice questions on Prehistory & Stone Age from the Ancient & Medieval History section of the UPSC Prelims syllabus. 37 come with a written explanation and 1 are actual previous year questions. Try the sample set below - the answer stays hidden until you ask for it.

16 Easy 19 Medium 2 Hard 1 from past papers

Sample questions

Q1
Previous year question hard

Consider the following information: Archaeological Site - State - Description 1. Chandraketugarh - Odisha - Trading Port town 2. Inamgaon - Maharashtra - Chalcolithic site 3. Mangadu - Kerala - Megalithic site 4. Salihundam - Andhra Pradesh - Rock-cut cave shrines In which of the above rows is the given information correctly matched?

  1. A 1 and 2
  2. B 2 and 3
  3. C 3 and 4
  4. D 1 and 4
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B - 2 and 3

Inamgaon in Maharashtra is a well-known Chalcolithic site associated with the Jorwe culture, and Mangadu in Kerala is a megalithic site with menhirs and burial remains, so rows 2 and 3 are correctly matched. Chandraketugarh was indeed an ancient trading port town, but it lies in West Bengal, not Odisha, making row 1 wrong. Salihundam in Andhra Pradesh is a Buddhist site with stupas and monastic structures on a hill, not rock-cut cave shrines, so row 4 is also wrong.

Q2
medium

The Mesolithic site of Bagor in Rajasthan is significant in Indian prehistory primarily because it provides one of the earliest evidences of which of the following?

  1. A Domestication of cattle, sheep and goat in a hunter-gatherer context
  2. B Cultivation of rice in flooded paddy fields
  3. C Smelting of copper for tool-making
  4. D Construction of fired-brick fortification walls
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A - Domestication of cattle, sheep and goat in a hunter-gatherer context

Bagor, on the Kothari river in Rajasthan, is among the largest Mesolithic sites in India and yielded microliths along with faunal remains indicating early animal domestication (sheep, goat, cattle) by communities still largely dependent on hunting and gathering. Rice cultivation, copper smelting and fired-brick fortifications belong to later Neolithic/Chalcolithic and Harappan phases, not the Mesolithic horizon at Bagor.

Q3
medium

The Mesolithic rock-shelter site of Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh was first systematically reported and studied by which archaeologist?

  1. A V. S. Wakankar
  2. B H. D. Sankalia
  3. C Bridget Allchin
  4. D Robert Bruce Foote
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A - V. S. Wakankar

V. S. Wakankar discovered and systematically studied the Bhimbetka rock shelters in 1957, later recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its prehistoric paintings. H. D. Sankalia excavated Langhnaj; Robert Bruce Foote is associated with the discovery of the first Palaeolithic tool at Pallavaram in 1863; Bridget Allchin worked on South Asian prehistory but did not report Bhimbetka.

Q4
easy

The Mesolithic rock shelters at Bhimbetka were brought to scholarly attention through systematic study primarily by which archaeologist?

  1. A V. S. Wakankar
  2. B H. D. Sankalia
  3. C Robert Bruce Foote
  4. D B. B. Lal
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A - V. S. Wakankar

V. S. Wakankar discovered the Bhimbetka rock shelters in 1957 and led their study, revealing a continuous sequence of human occupation with rich Mesolithic painted shelters. Robert Bruce Foote is associated with the first Palaeolithic find at Pallavaram, while Sankalia worked at sites like Langhnaj and B. B. Lal at Hastinapura.

Q5
easy

Microliths, the characteristic small stone tools made by blunting one or more sides, are most closely associated with which of the following prehistoric phases in India?

  1. A Lower Palaeolithic
  2. B Mesolithic
  3. C Lower Neolithic
  4. D Chalcolithic
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B - Mesolithic

Microliths are tiny stone tools, usually 1 to 5 cm long, often hafted onto wood or bone to make composite tools such as arrows and sickles; they are the hallmark of the Mesolithic period (roughly 9000 BCE onwards) in India, found at sites like Bagor and Adamgarh. The Lower Palaeolithic used large hand-axes and cleavers, not microliths. The Neolithic is defined by ground-and-polished tools, pottery and settled farming. The Chalcolithic is marked by the use of copper alongside stone, not by microliths as its defining feature.

Q6
medium

The Mesolithic rock shelter site of Bhimbetka has yielded the earliest evidence of a particular cultural practice in the Indian subcontinent. With reference to Bhimbetka, consider the following statements: 1. It preserves a continuous sequence of rock art from the Upper Palaeolithic into historic times. 2. The cupules found here are considered among the oldest known examples of human-made rock markings in India. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. A 1 only
  2. B 2 only
  3. C Both 1 and 2
  4. D Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C - Both 1 and 2

Bhimbetka (Madhya Pradesh), a UNESCO site, shows a continuous rock-art tradition spanning the Upper Palaeolithic through the Mesolithic and into the historic period, with later layers depicting horse-riders and battle scenes. The cupules (small cup-shaped depressions pecked into rock, as in the Auditorium Cave) are among the oldest known intentional rock markings in the subcontinent. Both statements are correct.

Q7
easy

The Mesolithic rock-shelter site of Bhimbetka, known for its prehistoric paintings, is located in which present-day state?

  1. A Madhya Pradesh
  2. B Rajasthan
  3. C Karnataka
  4. D Uttar Pradesh
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A - Madhya Pradesh

The Bhimbetka rock shelters lie in the Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh, in the Vindhyan foothills, and are inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Their oldest paintings date to the Mesolithic period, depicting hunting, dancing and animals. Rajasthan, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh have other prehistoric sites (Bagor, Sanganakallu, Belan valley respectively) but not Bhimbetka.

Q8
easy

The rock shelters of Bhimbetka, well known for their prehistoric paintings, are located in which present-day Indian state?

  1. A Madhya Pradesh
  2. B Rajasthan
  3. C Maharashtra
  4. D Karnataka
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A - Madhya Pradesh

Bhimbetka lies in the Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh, in the foothills of the Vindhya range, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for rock paintings spanning the Mesolithic onwards. It is not in Rajasthan, Maharashtra or Karnataka, making the other options incorrect.

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