Archeological sources such as tools, caves and rock paintings tell us about the eating habits of early man, materials used by him during that time and the activities performed:
(i) Tools: The earliest tools were made of stone, bone and wood. They were used to cut meat and bones, scrape barks from trees, for hunting, for stitching clothes, etc.
(ii) Caves: People lived in caves and rock shelters as they provided them with shelter from the rain, heat and wind.
(iii) Rock paintings: The early man made paintings in the caves and rock shelters. These paintings were drawn with great accuracy and skill.

The early man was a hunter and a gatherer. He also made stone tools and painted on cave walls. Till now, it is not really known about the division of labour as it existed during those times. However, there are at least two presumptions:
(i) It is presumed that both men and women might have done many tasks together.
(ii) At the same time, it is also possible that women did some tasks, while others were done only by men.
Moreover, different parts of the sub-continent must have followed different practices.

These people couldn't go to far-off places, but they moved Significant distances in search of food to sustain their living.

The beads could have been used for making ornaments and jewelleries.

The term Neolithic means a New Stone Age, which was period in the development of human technology, beginning about 10,000 years ago.

(i) The Mesolithic period, also referred to as the Middle Stone Age, witnessed environmental changes like the melting of glaciers and their replacement by thick forests.
(ii) This period stretches from 12,000 years ago till about 10,000 years ago.
(iii) The people of this period used small tools called microliths, such as spearheads and arrow heads.
(iv) Probably, agriculture was also practiced to some extent.
(v) Domestication of animals, most importantly of dogs, started.

(i) The rock shelters of Bhimbetka are decorated with picture writings, depicting the life and times of pre-historic cave dwellers.
(ii) These paintings mirror the difficulties of the native man's struggle with life and also his accomplishments.
(iii)These paintings also show wild animals drawn with great accuracy.
(iv) Religious symbols those were popular with these pre-historic artists also adorn the walls of these shelters.
(v) The paintings are often superimposed, which reveal that the surfaces were used by different people at different times.

(i) These sites are located in Bhimbetka.
(ii) Bhimbetka is located in Madhya Pradesh.
(iii) The Narmada Valley is close to these rock shelters.

The habitation-cum-factory sites were different from factory sites in these ways:
(i) As stone tools were important, people tried to find places where good quality stone was easily available.
(ii) The places where stone was found and where people made tools are known as factory sites.
(iii) Archaeologists found blocks of stone, tools, that were made and discarded because they were not perfect, and chips of waste stone left behind at these sites.
(iv) Sometimes people lived in such sites for longer spells of time. These sites are called habitation-cum-factory sites.