Question

The credit of the discovery of the first Palaeolithic in India which opened the field of prehistoric studies in the country goes to
A) Burkitt
B) De Terra and Paterson
C) Robert Bruce Foote
D) H.D Sankalia

Answer 1

Hint: The first Palaeolithic or the Lower Palaeolithic Age lasted from 600,000 to 60,000 BCE. At this time, the Indians utilised simple hand tools which were made up of stone and wood, such as axes and cleavers. Due to a lack of use of stone in this phase, the early people living in the Indian subcontinent also utilised minerals like quartzite and basalt to manufacture their tools and implements.

Complete answer:
Robert Bruce Foote, a British geologist and archaeologist who worked for the Geological Survey of India, was the first person to carry out geological studies regarding prehistoric India. Foote began working for the Geological Survey of India (GSI) on December 29, 1858. When he retired from the GSI in 1891, he joined the state of Baroda as a member of the Cabinet. Foote worked with the Geological Survey of India for almost 33 years.

In 1859, Joseph Prestwich's study sparked an interest in him towards the Palaeolithic life. The first convincing Palaeolithic stone instrument (a hand axe) was found in India in 1863, the year after his archaeological investigation began. This instrument was discovered in Pallavaram which is located in the southern Indian state of Kerala. With King William’s support and aid, he found more of these instruments and tools from different communities in Southern and Western India. The Belum Caves, India's second-largest cave system, was found by him in 1884 and this cave stretches for 3.5 kilometres (2.2 miles).

Therefore the correct answer is option ‘C’.

Note: The Geological Survey of India (GSI) is a government-run research organization in India. Established in the year 1851, the GSI is one of the oldest in the world and India's second-oldest geological survey, after Survey of India (founded in 1767), for undergoing geological research studies in the country. GSI also acts as the fundamental source of providing knowledge regarding earth science to the government, the private sector, various institutions and the general public.