Topic Explorer · Paper I & II
Prehistoric Archaeology Questions in UPSC Anthropology Optional Mains
Dating methods and the broad sweep of cultural evolution from the Palaeolithic to the Iron Age — including India's own prehistoric sequence, the Harappan civilization and the Indian palaeo-anthropological record.
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95 questions · 79 answered
Syllabus context
Paper I 2 · Paper II 1.1–1.2 — Prehistoric Archaeology, Chronology and Indian Prehistory
All year-wise Prehistoric Archaeology questions
2026
Ethnoarchaeology and classical archaeology.
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2026
Give the distribution of Palaeolithic sites around the Himalayan and Sub-Himalayan areas, highlighting the typo-technologies of the tools.
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2026
Thermoluminescence dating method.
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2026
Write a detailed note on the characteristic features, chronology, geographical distribution, tool types and lifeways of Magdalenian cultural tradition of Europe.
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2026
What are the evidences available regarding crops and domesticated animals of Indus Valley Civilization? What are the views of the scholars regarding Indus script?
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2026
Discuss with examples, how general comparative analogy has been used in ethnoarchaeological studies in India.
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2026
Make a critical appraisal of the mesolithic culture of Ganga basin with reference to artifacts, faunal and human skeletal remains excavated from different sites.
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2025
Discuss the palaeoanthropological significance of Siwaliks of India giving its subdivisions, fossil primate fauna and major primate fossil localities.
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2025
Describe the distinctive features and distribution of Upper Palaeolithic of India.
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2025
Lothal dockyard and international trade relations
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2025
Osteodontokeratik culture and its makers.
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2025
Write a note on Mousterian tool tradition, Mousterian culture and its makers.
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2025
Fission track dating method and its applications.
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2025
What are the major theories proposed in support of the origin of food production? How the change in subsistence economy brought revolution during this period?
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2025
'Soanian cultural' tradition
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2024
Critically describe evidences from Rakhi Garhi and its linkages to Harappan civilization.
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2024
Describe the important Paleolithic sites from South India with suitable examples. What is the significance of South Indian Paleolithic cultures?
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2024
Harappan maritime trade
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2024
Describe the evidences of food production and domestication of animals with special reference to Mehrgarh. Throw light on its significance.
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2024
Discuss the Acheulian and Oldowan traditions of Indian Paleolithic cultures with suitable illustrations.
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2024
Chronometric dating
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2023
“Siwalik deposits show a variety of Neogene fossil primates.” Critically examine.
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2023
Cultural impact of Iron Age
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2023
Discuss the Paleolithic environment in light of available evidences with special reference to India.
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2023
Identify the major Mesolithic sites and describe the typo-technological features with special reference to India.
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2023
Prehistoric significance of Rakhigarhi
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2023
Material culture and archaeology
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2023
Prehistoric rock arts from Uttarakhand
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2023
“Indus Valley was the first settlement of the big civilization.” Comment critically.
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2023
Was Mesolithic culture the first step towards sedentary way of life? Illustrate your answer by citing suitable examples.
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2023
Ramapithecus-Sivapithecus debate
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2022
Make a critical appraisal of Megalithic tradition in India with special reference to North-East India.
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2022
Describe briefly the proto-history of Gujarat. Discuss the significance of Gujarat proto-history in international trade.
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2022
Mesolithic rock art in Indian subcontinent
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2022
Discuss with suitable examples the typo-technological problems in Indian palaeolithic industry with reference to environmental hypotheses.
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2022
Enumerate the evidence of animal domestication in Indian microlithic industry.
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2022
Pit-dwellers of Kashmir
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2022
What are the arguments for excluding Narmada Man from Homo erectus category?
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2021
Describe the features of early farming cultures and Neolithic of the Near East.
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2021
Discuss the salient features of different traditions of European Mesolithic.
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2021
Harappan seals
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2021
Critically discuss the origin of Indus Valley Civilization. Mention the evidences of its endogenous origin from the pre-Harappan sites.
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2021
Give the distribution and characteristic features of Upper Paleolithic culture in India.
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2021
Discuss the morphological features and phylogenetic position of Ramapithecus.
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2021
Thermoluminescence (TL) dating
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2020
Natufian culture
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2020
Differentiate between Lower Palaeolithic culture and Middle Palaeolithic culture with suitable examples.
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2020
Contribution of Robert Bruce Foote to Indian Archaeology
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2020
Debates on 'Aryan' invasion
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2020
Discuss the contribution of V. N. Misra to Archaeological Anthropology in India.
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2020
Discuss the importance of Ethnoarchaeology in reconstructing the Past citing Indian examples.
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2020
'Narmada' Man
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2020
Discuss the characteristic features of 'Neolithic culture' in India.
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2019
Distribution of Neolithic sites in India.
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2019
Relative Dating Methods
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2019
Elucidate Mesolithic culture and associated rock art with examples from India.
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2019
Discuss briefly the major traditions in the Upper Palaeolithic culture of Europe.
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2019
Discuss with examples the Megalithic culture of India in the archaeological context.
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2019
Phylogenetic position and morphological features of Ramapithecus.
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2019
Ethno-archaeological analysis of hunting activities of contemporary tribal communities.
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2019
Describe the Palaeolithic culture with special reference to Soanian tradition. Indicate the problems of describing the Indian Palaeolithic.
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2019
What kind of society may be reconstructed from the archaeological evidences of Harappan culture ?
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2018
Ethnoarchaeology as a research strategy
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2018
Describe the salient features of Sivapithecus.
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2018
Examine the regional variations of mesolithic cultures of India.
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2018
Town Planning of Harappan Culture
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2018
Give an account of the consequences of food production of Neolithic culture.
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2018
Explain the impact of discovery of iron technology on contemporary society.
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2018
Describe the principles of radiocarbon dating. Mention its limitations.
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2018
Give an account of the field methods used in the study of Archaeological Anthropology.
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2017
Neolithic cultures of South India.
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2017
Ethno-archaeology.
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2017
Describe the salient features of chalcolithic cultures of the Deccan.
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2017
Describe the salient features of Ramapithecus.
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2017
Describe various aspects of trade and religion of Harappan civilization.
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2017
Discuss the relevance of art and craft traditions in the understanding of Indian archaeology.
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2017
Salient features of Mesolithic culture
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2017
What are dating methods? Discuss one absolute method and one relative method in detail.
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2016
Delineate the salient features of Chalcolithic cultures.
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2016
Neolithic Cultures of India
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2016
Significance of Mesolithic findings from Belan Valley
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2016
Ethno-archaeological evidences for the survival of hunting-gathering traditions in India
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2016
Delineate the salient characteristics of 'Narmada Man' and examine its phylogenetic significance.
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2016
Give a detailed appraisal of skeletal remains from Chalcolithic culture of undivided Punjab.
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2015
Prehistoric Rock Art of Central India
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2015
Discuss the significance of Harappan Civilization sites from India.
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2015
Palaeolithic culture.
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2015
South Indian Paleoliths
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2015
Describe the paleoanthropological fossil finds from Siwalik hills. Examine the contribution of Siwalik fossils to paleoanthropological knowledge.
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2014
Describe the absolute dating methods in Archaeology, highlighting the importance of each method.
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2014
Describe the Neolithic culture of India.
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2014
Neolithic cultures of N-E India
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2014
Describe what is known of Harappan Religion. Have some of its elements continued into later Hinduism ? Discuss.
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2014
Discuss the importance of the ethno-archaeological approach to the study of indigenous craft in India.
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2014
Describe the evolutionary significance of the fossil finds of the Narmada Basin.
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