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This timeline was created for ANTH104 at Cascadia College

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c. 26,000 - 6500 BC

The exact order to which South Asia was populated by people is unknown however, sites in the various regions offer insight into the earliest known groups of people in those particular regions.

The site of Bagor, located in Western India, overlooks the Kothari River and is characterized by the microlithic tools found throughout the area during the stretch of time between 5000 BC to AD 200.

The site of Sarai Nahar Rai was located in the middle of the Ganges Valley. This site contains remains of "two structures, a cluster of 12 burials, and 12 hearths." Animal remains indicate a broad economy ranging from "fish and tortoise to cattle, buffalo, and even elephant."

Scarre, Christopher. The Human Past: World Prehistory & the Development of Human Societies. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2013.
https://www.tes.com/lessons/-t2DtjZRl0Esdw/indus-valley-indus-and-ganges-rivers-the-land-of-india

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The First Producers of Food

Four distinct groupings of Neolithic communities that utilized pastoralism and agriculture can be identified: Western Pakistan, Kashmir and the Swat Valley, The Ganges Basin and Peninsular India.

Each are culturally and geographically unique but are commonly located near large rivers or valleys such as the communities of Western Pakistan, located near the Bolan River and the group at Burzahorn near the Kashmir Valley.

Different kinds of tools were found, including ground-stone axes and rectangular stone sickles (Kashmir) and polished stone axes, stone blades and coarse ceramics (Peninsular India). A wide distribution of these tools is evident with the appearance of polished stone axes in the Ganges Basin.

Scarre, Christopher. The Human Past: World Prehistory & the Development of Human Societies. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2013.
https://cuttingedgechronicles.wordpress.com/the-hunterian-associates-programme/

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Key site

The site of Mehrgarh is the "earliest agricultural site known to the Indian subcontinent". Evidence of a herding community have been found and "plant and animal remains provide clear evidence of ongoing domestication and, perhaps most importantly, a distinct Neolithic subsistence package based upon local cattle."

Scarre, Christopher. The Human Past: World Prehistory & the Development of Human Societies. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2013.

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5000 - 2500 BC

Also referred to as the "Early Harappan period", this era is recognized for the successful colonization of the Indus floodplains and planned settlements. This area stretches from Rehman Dheri in west Indus to Ghaggar in the east and from Balakot in the south-west to Surkotada in the southeast.

Located in this area are the sites of Mehrgarh, which became the regional producer of ceramics, and Damb Sadaat, which shows the use of construction by way of mud-bricks and stone linings.

Scarre, Christopher. The Human Past: World Prehistory & the Development of Human Societies. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2013.

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2600 - 1900 BC

The Era of Integration, also known as the Indus civilization, has been characterized by archaeological sites that contain one of more of the following traits: "cities; artifact standardization; four-tier settlement hierarchy; writing; long-distance trade; urban planning; craft and settlement specialization; and monumental public works." During this time the Indus civilization was at its maturity, covering an area of 500,000 sq km.

Scarre, Christopher. The Human Past: World Prehistory & the Development of Human Societies. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2013.
http://indusrivervalley-civilization.weebly.com/

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Key sites

The two sites of Mohenjo-daro and Harappa best highlight the Indus civilization. Both sites have a "citadel" mound to the west and town-like residential buildings to the lower east. Both sites have a very rigid grid pattern which was later adopted by small cities like Kalibangan.

Mohenjo-daro is the best preserved city of the Indus civilization. Within city limits, a structure known as the great bath is thought to have been the place of a communal bath house since the fired brick inside the structure is waterproof.  Mohenjo-daro's lower residential structures was unfortified and subdivided into six to seven blocks with wide main streets.

Scarre, Christopher. The Human Past: World Prehistory & the Development of Human Societies. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2013.
http://www.thebetterindia.com/60143/mohenjodaro-harappa-indus-valley-civilization/

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c. 1900 BC

During this era we see changes in environment, socio-political organization, distributions of populations and settlement patterns. An increase in the number of settlements goes up while larger more specialized cities, like Mohenjo-daro and Chanhu-daro, goes down. These changes "represent the emergence and consolidation of localized states or chiefdoms with smaller scale social and political interaction."(Kenoyer)

Notable changes occurred in burial practices as is observed by the spread of Gandharan Grave Culture through sites like Balambat located in Dir and Ali-grama in Swat. This culture is represented by "grave and burial patterns, pottery assemblages, and other artifacts."(Scarre)

Kenoyer, J. Mark. "Chronology and Interrealtions between Harappa and Central Asia." May 28, 2004. https://www.harappa.com/sites/default/files/pdf/Kenoyer2004%20Chronology%20Harappa%20and%20Central%20Asia.pdf.

Scarre, Christopher. The Human Past: World Prehistory & the Development of Human Societies. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2013.

http://southasiainstitute.harvard.edu/2014/05/aman-fellow-muhammad-zahir-shares-research-on-protohistoric-cemeteries-in-pakistan/

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1200 - 500 BC

During this time of reconstruction, archaeologists have discovered a re-emergence of fortified settlements and the formation of states and the use of seals again. The first appearance of iron tools emerges although it "did not bring about immediate change."(Scarre)

Scarre, Christopher. The Human Past: World Prehistory & the Development of Human Societies. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2013.

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500 BC - AD 320

During this time we see a period of reintegration. Regionalized development was interrupted by the Achaemenid Persian empire "and the string of administrative centers at Kandahar, Charsadda and Taxila" (Scarre). The initial impact of Persian rule is unclear but there is presence of inscriptions in the Kharoshthi script in the northwest, which has its origins in Gandhara.
Archaeological evidence is also found that supports a partial "Hellenistic colonization of the Indus region by Alexander the Great" (Scarre). However it is limited to one particular site, Bir-kot-ghundai.

Scarre, Christopher. The Human Past: World Prehistory & the Development of Human Societies. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2013.

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The Mauryan dynasty ruled between 325 - 185 BC. From the creations of stone pillars, displays on boulders and writings on stone tablets in the name of emperor Asoka, archaeologists are certain that the region's history started with Asoka.
A text called Arthasastra was found to be a study of political science and city planning has allowed deeper insight into the construction of the Mauryan empire: authority was centered in the capital of Pataliputra and this power was enforced through the use of governors in cities like Taxila and Maski "with ministers in lesser centers" (Scarre).

Scarre, Christopher. The Human Past: World Prehistory & the Development of Human Societies. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2013.

https://sites.google.com/site/ancientindiapathfinder/mauryaempire

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Kenoyer, J. Mark. "Chronology and Interrealtions between Harappa and Central Asia." May 28, 2004. https://www.harappa.com/sites/default/files/pdf/Kenoyer2004%20Chronology%20Harappa%20and%20Central%20Asia.pdf.

Scarre, Christopher. The Human Past: World Prehistory & the Development of Human Societies. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2013.