Question

Why is the Mesolithic age called Microlithic age?
a. In this age humans used very large stone tools
b. In this age humans used small stone tools
c. in this age humans used copper tools
d. In this age humans used iron tools

Answer 1

Hint: Mesolithic Age is also known as Middle Stone Age. It was the second part of the Stone Age. In India, the Middle Stone Age spanned from 9000 BC to 4000 BC.

Complete Step by Step Answer: The Mesolithic Age was like a transitional phase between the Paleolithic Age and the Neolithic Age. The terms ‘Paleolithic’ and ‘Neolithic’ got introduced by John Lubbock in his work named Pre-Historic Times in 1865. The Mesolithic category was like an intermediate category added by Hodder Westropp in the year 1866.
The people in this age lived on hunting, fishing and food gathering. Later they started domesticating animals too. The people also started painting. The pictures of birds, animals, human beings, etc were painted. A number of such paintings have been found in Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh.
The Mesolithic Age sites can be found at places like:
1. Bagor in Rajasthan- There was a microlithic industry and the people lived on hunting and pastoralism.
2. Adamgarh in Madhya Pradesh- This place has the earliest evidence regarding domestication of animals.
3. Langhnaj in Gujarat- This place has the first evidence of the dead being buried.
Now, let us look at the given options.
Option a- The Mesolithic age is known as the Microlithic Age not because the humans used very large stone tools. The term Microlith means small bladed stone tools. So, this is a wrong answer.
Option b- The Microlithic age is where the humans used tools made of small stones. Hence, Mesolithic age is also known as Microlithic age and is the right option.
Option c- The Chalcolithic Age is where the people used tools made of copper. This is the wrong alternative to be chosen.
Option d- The humans used iron tools in the Iron Age which was after the Mesolithic Age. Thus, it is an incorrect alternative.
Thus, option ‘b’ is correct.

Note: The tools used in the Mesolithic Age were very small in size ranging from one to eight centimetres. Some of the main tools used are backed blade, point, core, triangle, lunate and trapeze. However, some of the previously used tools like scraper, burin and choppers also continued to be in use in this age.