Sources and Prehistoric India PYQs – Ancient History, SSC & Railway

Answer: Option 4 — Middle Palaeolithic
The Middle Palaeolithic industry of India is built on flakes struck from prepared cores — scrapers, points and borers — which is why it is called a flake-tool culture.
The Lower Palaeolithic is a core-tool culture and the Upper Palaeolithic a blade-and-burin culture.
Revision note — The three phases of the Palaeolithic Age in India
• Lower Palaeolithic (about 6,00,000–1,50,000 years BP): core tools — handaxes, cleavers and choppers of the Acheulian tradition; pebble tools of the Sohan (Soan) valley.
• Lower Palaeolithic sites: Bhimbetka, Attirampakkam, Hunsgi and Didwana.
• Middle Palaeolithic (about 1,50,000–40,000 BP): flake tools — scrapers, points, borers, many made by the prepared-core Levallois technique.
• Its type site is Nevasa on the Pravara river in Maharashtra, hence the name Nevasian.
• Upper Palaeolithic (about 40,000–10,000 BP): blades and burins, bone tools and the first rock paintings; associated with anatomically modern Homo sapiens.
• The Palaeolithic was followed by the Mesolithic (microliths, bow and arrow; Bagor, Langhnaj, Adamgarh) and then the Neolithic (polished stone axes, farming, pottery).
• Robert Bruce Foote found the first Indian Palaeolithic tool, a handaxe, at Pallavaram near Madras in 1863.
• The Bhimbetka rock shelters in Madhya Pradesh show the full sequence — Acheulian, Middle and Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic.
Do not mix these up
• Core tools vs flake tools vs blade tools — Lower Palaeolithic works the core (handaxe), Middle Palaeolithic uses the flakes struck off it, Upper Palaeolithic uses long thin blades.
• Palaeolithic vs Neolithic — Neolithic is not a Palaeolithic phase at all; it is the New Stone Age of polished tools and agriculture.
Also asked from this topic: the technique used to make Middle Palaeolithic flake tools (Levallois technique); the span of the Lower Palaeolithic including the Acheulian phase (6,00,000–1,50,000 years BP).

Answer: Option 3 — Burins and scrapers
The Upper Palaeolithic is the blade-and-burin stage: long parallel-sided blades were struck from a core and worked into burins (chisel-edged engraving tools), scrapers, points and knives.
Handaxes, cleavers and chopping tools belong to the Lower Palaeolithic, and wooden spears are not the defining tool of any Indian phase.
Revision note — Upper Palaeolithic culture in India
• Dated to about 40,000–10,000 years BP, coinciding with the last phase of the Ice Age; the climate was cold and dry.
• Tool kit: blades, burins, scrapers, points and, for the first time, bone tools — needles, harpoons and awls.
• The makers were anatomically modern humans (Homo sapiens), though no Upper Palaeolithic human fossil has been found in India; the subcontinent's only early-human fossil is the Narmada cranium from Hathnora (Madhya Pradesh, 1982), an older, archaic form.
• Key sites: Bhimbetka (Madhya Pradesh), Belan valley (Uttar Pradesh), Renigunta and the Kurnool caves (Andhra Pradesh), Patne (Maharashtra), where ostrich egg-shell beads were found.
• Art begins in this phase — the earliest rock paintings of Bhimbetka and engraved ostrich egg-shells at Patne; a mother-goddess stone shrine has been reported from Baghor in the Son valley.
• A burin is a stone tool with a narrow chisel edge used for engraving and working bone; a scraper has a steep worked edge for cleaning hides and wood.
Do not mix these up
• Burin vs borer — a burin engraves (Upper Palaeolithic); a borer drills holes and is a Middle Palaeolithic flake tool.
• Handaxe vs cleaver — both are Lower Palaeolithic core tools; the handaxe is pointed, the cleaver has a straight bit-like edge.
Also asked from this topic: the human species associated with the Upper Palaeolithic (anatomically modern Homo sapiens); the site with Acheulian, Middle and Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic levels (Bhimbetka).

Answer: Option 2 — Gufkral
Gufkral, in Pulwama district near Tral in Jammu and Kashmir, is a Neolithic site of pit dwellings; its name means cave of the potter.
Maski is in Karnataka, Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh and Mahagara in Uttar Pradesh.
Revision note — Neolithic sites of India
• Gufkral (Pulwama, J&K): excavated in 1981 by A. K. Sharma; three phases — aceramic Neolithic, ceramic Neolithic and Megalithic; pit dwellings, bone tools, domesticated sheep and goat.
• Burzahom (near Srinagar, J&K): excavated 1960–71; pit dwellings, bone harvesters and burials in which dogs were buried with their masters; a stone slab shows a hunting scene.
• Mehrgarh (Baluchistan, Pakistan): the earliest farming village of the subcontinent, about 7000 BCE, with the earliest evidence of cotton cultivation.
• Koldihwa and Mahagara (Belan valley, Prayagraj, UP): early evidence of rice cultivation and a cattle pen at Mahagara.
• Chirand (Bihar) is known for bone tools; the southern Neolithic ash mounds are at Utnur, Kupgal and Piklihal (Karnataka).
• Maski (Raichur, Karnataka) is a Neolithic-Chalcolithic site better known for the Ashokan minor rock edict that names the emperor Ashoka.
• Bhimbetka (Raisen, MP) is a Palaeolithic-Mesolithic rock-shelter site, not a Neolithic one.
Do not mix these up
• Burzahom vs Gufkral — both are J&K Neolithic pit-dwelling sites; Burzahom lies near Srinagar and is famous for dog burials, Gufkral lies in Pulwama and has an aceramic phase.
• Mahagara vs Mehrgarh — Mahagara is in the Belan valley of UP; Mehrgarh is in Baluchistan and much older.
Also asked from this topic: the Neolithic site with pit dwellings and dog burials (Burzahom); the site with the earliest cotton cultivation (Mehrgarh); a feature that is NOT Neolithic (use of bronze tools).

Answer: Option 2 — Navdatoli – Painted pottery; located on Narmada river
Navdatoli stands on the Narmada opposite Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh and is the type site of the Malwa culture, famous for the richest painted pottery of Chalcolithic India.
Each of the other pairs fails on one element — Kayatha's ware is not Black-and-Red, Jorwe was rural, and Nevasa used copper, not iron.
Revision note — Chalcolithic cultures of India
• Chalcolithic is from Greek chalkos (copper) and lithos (stone) — the Copper-Stone Age, when copper, the first metal worked by humans, was used alongside stone tools.
• Ahar-Banas culture, south-east Rajasthan — Ahar, Gilund, Balathal; known for Black-and-Red Ware. Ahar was called Tambavati, the place with copper.
• Kayatha culture, Chambal valley of Madhya Pradesh — sturdy red-slipped ware painted in chocolate and violet, copper bangles, beads of steatite and carnelian.
• Malwa culture — Navdatoli on the Narmada, with Eran and Nagda; its black-on-red painted pottery is the finest of the Chalcolithic.
• Jorwe culture of Maharashtra — Inamgaon, Nevasa, Daimabad, Chandoli; a rural, non-urban culture of round and rectangular huts.
• Daimabad, on the Pravara in Maharashtra, yielded the famous bronze chariot, rhinoceros, elephant and buffalo.
• Chalcolithic people did not know iron. Iron appears only in the later Vedic period, about 1000 BCE, so no Chalcolithic site pairs with iron tools.
Do not mix these up
• Navdatoli vs Nevasa — Navdatoli is a Malwa site on the Narmada; Nevasa is a Jorwe site on the Pravara.
• Chalcolithic vs Iron Age — Chalcolithic means copper with stone; the Indian Iron Age opens with Painted Grey Ware.
Also asked from this topic: what 'Chalcolithic' literally means (Copper-Stone Age); the first metal used by early humans (copper); the Maharashtra site that yielded metal-cast sculptures (Daimabad).

Answer: Option 2 — Homo erectus
The oldest human fossil found in India is the Narmada Man skull cap from Hathnora, Madhya Pradesh, identified as Homo erectus.
Homo sapiens reaches India only much later, and Australopithecus is known from Africa alone.
Revision note — Prehistoric India
• The Narmada Man fossil was found by Arun Sonakia of the Geological Survey of India at Hathnora in the Narmada valley, Madhya Pradesh, in 1982.
• The order of species is Australopithecus → Homo habilis → Homo erectus → Homo sapiens.
• The Palaeolithic (Old Stone) Age in India is split into Lower, Middle and Upper; the Upper Palaeolithic (about 40,000–10,000 years ago) belongs to anatomically modern Homo sapiens.
• Bhimbetka, in Raisen district, Madhya Pradesh, near the Narmada, shows Acheulian (Lower Palaeolithic) to Mesolithic levels and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2003).
• Its rock paintings go back roughly 30,000 years.
• India's first Palaeolithic tool was found at Pallavaram, Tamil Nadu, by Robert Bruce Foote in 1863.
• Mehrgarh (Balochistan) is the subcontinent's earliest Neolithic farming site; Burzahom (Kashmir) is famous for its pit dwellings.
Do not mix these up
• Homo erectus vs Homo sapiens — Homo erectus is the earlier species and the one India's fossil record begins with; Homo sapiens belongs to the Upper Palaeolithic onwards.
• Australopithecus vs Homo erectus — Australopithecus is an African genus with no Indian find; Homo erectus spread out of Africa across Asia, India included.
Also asked from this topic: the human species of the Upper Palaeolithic phase (Homo sapiens); the state where Bhimbetka lies (Madhya Pradesh); the river valley near Bhimbetka (Narmada).

Topic: Mesolithic Period in India (10,000-6,000 BCE)
Key Mesolithic Characteristics:
• Microlithic tools (small, composite stone tools)
• Introduction of bow-and-arrow technology
• Plant-processing implements (grinding stones)
• Semi-nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle
Why other options are incorrect:
Option 1: Heavy flake tools → Lower Paleolithic feature
Option 2: Iron tools → Iron Age (1200 BCE onwards)
Option 3: Polished axes + agriculture → Neolithic period
Answer: Option 4 → Use of microlithic tools along with bow-and-arrow and plant-processing implements

Upper Paleolithic Period: 50,000-10,000 years ago
Key Features: Advanced stone tools, cave art, symbolic behavior
Associated Species:Anatomically Modern Homo sapiens
Evidence: Lascaux caves (France), Altamira (Spain), sophisticated blade technology
Note: Neanderthals extinct ~40,000 years ago; Homo erectus much earlier
Answer: Option 3 → Anatomically Modern Homo sapiens across the Old World

Mesolithic Age (Middle Stone Age)
Transitional period between:
•Palaeolithic Age(Old Stone Age) - Hunter-gatherers
•Neolithic Age(New Stone Age) - Agriculture & settled life
Key features of Mesolithic:
• Microliths (small stone tools)
• Semi-nomadic lifestyle
• Beginning of domestication
Answer: Option 2 → Palaeolithic Age and Neolithic Age

Topic: Prehistoric Tool Technology
Microlithic Tools:Small stone tools (1-5 cm), made from flakes and blades.
Characteristic ofMesolithic Age(10,000-6,000 BCE).
Used for composite tools - attached to wood/bone for arrows, spears, sickles.
Represented transition from hunting-gathering to early agriculture.
Answer: Option 4 → Mesolithic

Topic: Prehistoric India - Stone Age Tools
Attirampakkam(Tamil Nadu) has yielded the earliest evidence of stone tools in India.
Archaeological findings date back to approximately1.5 million years ago(Lower Paleolithic period).
Acheulian stone tools and handaxes discovered here are among the oldest in the Indian subcontinent.
Other sites: Hunsgi Valley (Karnataka) - Paleolithic tools; Mehrgarh (Pakistan) - Neolithic settlement; Lothal (Gujarat) - Harappan port city.
Answer: Option 3 → Attirampakkam

Topic: Prehistoric Archaeological Sites of India
Bhimbetka Rock Shelters(Madhya Pradesh):
UNESCO World Heritage Site with continuous habitation evidence
Contains all major Palaeolithic phases:Acheulian, Middle Palaeolithic, Upper Palaeolithic, and Mesolithic
Famous for rock paintings spanning multiple prehistoric periods
Other sites have limited cultural sequences:
Chirki-Nevasa: Lower and Middle Palaeolithic only
Paisra: Middle Palaeolithic focus
Adamgarh: Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic mainly
Answer: Option 1 → Bhimbetka Rock Shelters in Madya Pradesh

Topic: Late Harappan & Chalcolithic Sites in Maharashtra
Daimabadis a Late Harappan and Chalcolithic site located on the Pravara River in Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra.
It is famous for itsbronze/copper artifacts, particularly theDaimabad bronzes(c. 1500 BCE).
These include excellent metal-cast sculptures like theChariot,Bull,Elephant, andRhinoceros.
These are among the finest examples of metal casting from the Chalcolithic period in India.
Answer: Option 1 → Daimabad

Topic: Prehistoric Rock Shelters of India
Bhimbetka Rock Shelters(Madhya Pradesh) contain prehistoric cave paintings dating fromMesolithic period to historic times.
These paintings span over30,000 yearsand depict hunting scenes, dancing, animals, and daily life.
UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2003.
Other options: Nalanda (ancient university), Pattadakal (temples), Hampi (Vijayanagara ruins) - none have Mesolithic paintings.
Answer: Option 3 → Bhimbetka

Bhimbetka Rock Shelters
Location: Raisen district, Madhya Pradesh
Situated in theVindhya Rangefoothills
NearNarmada River Valley
UNESCO World Heritage Site (2003)
Contains prehistoric cave paintings dating back toPaleolithic era
Answer: Option 2 → Narmada

Middle Palaeolithic Culture in India
Period: Approximately 100,000 - 40,000 years ago
Levallois Technique:
- Specialized core preparation method
- Core shaped like a tortoise shell
- Predetermined flake shape before striking
- Produced uniform, thin flakes efficiently
This technique was the hallmark of Middle Palaeolithic
tool-making across India and other regions.
Answer: Option 3 → Levallois technique

Topic: Banas Culture (Chalcolithic Period)
Banas Culture flourished in southeastern Rajasthan around 2000-1500 BCE.
Major excavated sites:
• Ahar (Udaipur) - Type site, also called Ahar-Banas culture
• Gilund (Rajsamand) - Important settlement
• Bagor (Bhilwara) - Mesolithic to Chalcolithic transition site
Nagdais associated with different archaeological contexts, not Banas culture.
Answer: Option 2 → Nagda

Akhaj Mesolithic Site
Location: Akhaj is located inMehsana district, Gujarat.
Key Facts:
• Important Mesolithic archaeological site in India.
• Discovered during archaeological surveys in Gujarat.
• Contains evidence of Mesolithic culture and tools.
Answer: Option 2 → Gujarat

Langhnaj Archaeological Site - Gujarat
Key Features:
• Microlithic tools (small stone tools)
• Evidence of hunting-gathering communities
• Located in Mehsana district, Gujarat
Mesolithic Culture Characteristics:
• Time Period: 10,000 BCE - 6,000 BCE
• Primary tool type: Microliths
• Economy: Hunting-gathering lifestyle
Langhnaj is a prominentMesolithic sitein India, known for its rich microlithic assemblage and skeletal remains.
Answer: Option 2 → Mesolithic culture

Iron Age (1200-600 BCE) brought stronger metal tools.
Iron ploughsharescould penetrate heavy, clayey soils.
Iron axescleared dense forests for cultivation.
Bronze/copper/stone tools were too soft for wet, heavy soils.
This enabled expansion into river valleys and fertile plains.
Answer: Option 2 → Iron ploughshares and axes

The correct answer is option 2.
The use of bronze tools is NOT a feature of the Neolithic period. The Neolithic (New Stone Age) period is characterised by the use of polished stone tools, not metal tools. Bronze tools belong to the Bronze Age (also called the Chalcolithic or Copper-Bronze Age), which came after the Neolithic period.
Option 1 is incorrect as a 'NOT' answer: Pottery-making is indeed a defining feature of the Neolithic period — it was during this era that humans began making and using fired clay pottery.
Option 3 is incorrect as a 'NOT' answer: Domestication of animals (cattle, sheep, goat) is a key feature of the Neolithic period.
Option 4 is incorrect as a 'NOT' answer: The beginning of settled agricultural activities (cultivation of crops) is the most fundamental characteristic of the Neolithic revolution.

The correct answer is option 4.
Bhimbetka is located in the Vindhya Range near Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site containing prehistoric rock shelters and cave paintings dating to the Mesolithic period (and earlier). The paintings depict hunting, dancing, animals, and scenes of early human life.
Option 1 is incorrect: Odisha has prehistoric sites but not the Bhimbetka rock shelters.
Option 2 is incorrect: Gujarat has significant Harappan sites but not Bhimbetka.
Option 3 is incorrect: Maharashtra has notable archaeological sites but Bhimbetka is located in Madhya Pradesh.

Correct Answer: Option 2 – Ayodhya
The ancient city of Saket, mentioned in early Buddhist, Jain, and Hindu texts, is identified with modern-day Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. During the Gupta period (including Chandragupta I's rule), Saket was an important city and served as a significant urban centre in northern India.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 (Ujjain): Ujjain was known as Ujjayini in ancient times, not Saket.
Option 3 (Patna): Patna was known as Pataliputra in ancient times.
Option 4 (Nashik): Nashik was known as Nasik or Janasthana in ancient texts, not Saket.

Correct Answer: Copper and Stone Age
The term 'Chalcolithic' is derived from two Greek words: ' Chalkos ' meaning copper and ' Lithos ' meaning stone. It refers to the Copper-Stone Age, a transitional period between the Neolithic (Stone Age) and the Bronze Age, when humans began using copper tools alongside stone tools.
Why other options are wrong:
Bronze and Stone Age - Incorrect combination; chalcolithic refers to copper, not bronze.
Bronze and Iron Age - Bronze Age and Iron Age are separate later periods.
Silver and Bronze Age - Silver is not associated with the chalcolithic period.

Correct Answer: Yintu
Ancient Chinese texts referred to India as 'Yintu' (also transliterated as 'Yindhu'), derived from the Sanskrit/Persian word 'Hindu/Sindhu' (referring to the Indus River). Famous Chinese travellers like Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang) used this name in their accounts of India.
Why other options are wrong:
Bharat - The Indian name for India, used in Sanskrit texts.
Indica - The Greek/Latin name used by Greeks like Megasthenes.
Sindhu - The Sanskrit name for the Indus River; not specifically the Chinese name for India.

Mesolithic is correct. The Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age, c. 10,000–6,000 BCE in India) is characterized by the use of microliths — tiny, geometrically shaped blades and flakes of stone used as composite tools. This period also shows early signs of animal domestication and semi-nomadic lifestyles, marking the transition from hunter-gatherer communities toward settled agriculture.
• Paleolithic: The Old Stone Age used large, crude stone tools (hand axes, cleavers); microliths had not yet developed.
• Neolithic: The New Stone Age is characterized by polished stone tools, settled agriculture, and pottery — a further development from the Mesolithic.
• Chalcolithic: This phase is defined by the use of copper alongside stone tools; microliths are not its primary characteristic.

Prehistoric stone tools provide direct physical evidence of how early humans lived, hunted, and survived. They help historians understand early human lifestyle, food procurement, tool-making skills, and adaptive survival techniques.
(1) Megalithic structures are studied separately and are not revealed through stone tools.
(3) Development of written scripts is documented through inscriptions and manuscripts, not stone tools.
(4) Ancient trade routes are studied through traded goods, coins, and archaeological sites, not stone tools.

Correct Answer: Option 3 – Neolithic
The Neolithic period (New Stone Age) is characterized by the beginning of settled agriculture, permanent villages, and the domestication of animals. Key features:
• First permanent settlements replaced nomadic lifestyles.
• Cultivation of crops like wheat and barley began.
• Polished stone tools replaced chipped stones.
• Pottery was invented for grain storage.
• In India, early Neolithic settlements include Mehrgarh ( Balochistan ), Burzahom (Kashmir), and Chirand (Bihar).
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 (Paleolithic): The Old Stone Age was characterized by nomadic hunter-gatherers, cave dwellings, and crude stone tools. No permanent settlements or agriculture.
Option 2 (Mesolithic): The Middle Stone Age was a transitional period with micro-tools and semi-nomadic lifestyle. Agriculture had not yet begun.
Option 4 (Chalcolithic): The Copper-Stone Age came AFTER Neolithic. People used both stone and copper tools, but settled agriculture had already begun in the Neolithic.

Copper was the first metal used by humans, which led to the Chalcolithic (Copper Age) period. The word 'Chalcolithic' comes from Greek ' chalcos ' (copper) + ' lithos ' (stone). This transition period bridged the Stone Age and Bronze Age.
(a) Incorrect: Iron came much later (Iron Age, around 1200 BCE onwards).
(c) Incorrect: Gold was used but it did not define a major age transition.
(d) Incorrect: Bronze (an alloy of copper and tin) came after the Copper Age.

The Bhimbetka Rock Shelters in Madhya Pradesh are a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2003) containing some of the earliest known rock paintings in India, dating back to approximately 30,000 years. These shelters show evidence of continuous human habitation and depict scenes of hunting, dancing, and daily life of prehistoric people.
(a) Incorrect: Ellora Caves (UNESCO WHS) feature rock-cut temples dating from 600–1000 CE, not prehistoric paintings.
(c) Incorrect: Konark Sun Temple is a 13th-century temple in Odisha, not a site of prehistoric cave paintings.
(d) Incorrect: Ajanta Caves (UNESCO WHS) have Buddhist paintings dating from 2nd century BCE to 6th century CE, not prehistoric 30,000-year-old paintings.

Correct Answer: Copper (Option 4)
Copper was the first metal used by early human communities in ancient India. Archaeological evidence from the Indus Valley Civilization (c. 3300-1300 BCE) shows extensive use of copper for tools, weapons, and ornaments. Copper is relatively easy to smelt and shape, making it the earliest metal used by ancient civilisations globally.
Why others are wrong:
Option 1 - Iron: The Iron Age in India began around 1200-1000 BCE, much later than the Copper Age.
Option 2 - Bronze: Bronze (an alloy of copper and tin) came into use after pure copper, marking the Bronze Age. It was used in Harappan civilisation but copper preceded bronze.
Option 3 - Gold: While gold was used decoratively in ancient times, it was not the primary utilitarian metal for tools and weapons.

Correct Answer: Indoi or Indike (Option 2)
The ancient Greeks referred to the region around the Indus River as ' Indoi ' or ' Indike '. This Greek term was derived from the Sanskrit name 'Sindhu' (the Indus River). The word ' Indoi ' eventually evolved into the name 'India' as used by the Western world.
Why others are wrong:
Option 1 - Sindh: This is the name of a province in present-day Pakistan, derived from the river name Sindhu, but it is not the Greek name.
Option 3 - Hind: This is the Persian and Arabic name for the Indian subcontinent, not the ancient Greek name.
Option 4 - Bharat: This is the indigenous Sanskrit/Hindi name for India, not the Greek name.

Mesolithic people (≈10000–6000 BCE) used composite tools and small stone microliths.
For hunting, they used barbed spears, harpoons, bows and arrows.

Correct Answer: Option 1 – a-i, b-ii, c-iii, d-iv
a. Ochre-coloured pottery (i – Found in association with copper hoards): The Ochre Coloured Pottery (OCP) culture (c. 2600–1200 BCE) is an Early Historic/Chalcolithic culture associated with copper hoards found in the Ganga-Yamuna Doab region. OCP vessels have been found alongside copper hoards, suggesting a cultural/economic connection.
b. Upper Gangetic basin (ii – Region with most copper hoard discoveries): The Ganga-Yamuna Doab (upper Gangetic plain) has yielded the largest concentration of copper hoard finds in India — implements like copper celts, harpoons, antennae swords, and anthropomorphs.
c. Settled agriculturists and artisans (iii – Users of copper hoards in the doab region): The OCP/copper hoard culture people were settled communities of agriculturists and artisans in the doab region who used these copper implements for agricultural and craft activities.
d. Plateau regions of Bihar and neighbouring areas (iv – Secondary site of copper hoard findings): Some copper hoards have also been found in the plateau regions of Bihar (Chota Nagpur) and adjoining areas, representing secondary distribution sites outside the main doab concentration.

Correct Answer: Option 3 – A is false, but R is true
Assertion (A) is FALSE: The people associated with copper hoards in the upper Gangetic basin (Ochre Coloured Pottery/OCP culture, c. 2000–1500 BCE) were NOT nomadic hunters. Archaeological evidence suggests they were semi-sedentary people engaged in farming and pastoralism. Their settlements, pottery (ochre- coloured ), and stored copper objects indicate settled or semi-settled communities, not pure nomadic hunters.
Reason (R) is TRUE: Copper hoards in the upper Gangetic plain have indeed been found associated with Ochre Coloured Pottery (OCP) and mud structures at various sites ( Bisauli , Saipai , Fatehgarh ), which is archaeologically documented. The association of copper hoards with OCP and structural remains is a well-established finding.
Since A is false but R is accurately describes the archaeological context — Option 3 (C) is correct.