Timeline: The Course of Cultures in Ancient Tamilagam

Era	Time Period	Cultural Characteristics
Paleolithic	Circa. 20,00,000 years to circa. 8,000 BC (BCE)	Hand axes, cleavers. Hunting and gathering. Hominins grouped in small societies.
Mesolithic	Circa. 8,000 years to circa. 1,300 BC (BCE)	Microlithic tools. No knowledge of metal. Hunting of animals and birds. Gathering of plant food and fishing. Later stage domestication of animals.
Neolithic	Circa. 2,000 BC (BCE) to 1,000 BC (BCE)	Polished Stone Axes. Microliths. Domestication of animals. Cultivation of crops. Significant Agricultural revolution seen. Multiplicity of groups. Co-existence of hunter-gatherers and pastoral groups. Started early cultural civilisation.
Iron Age	Circa. 1,300 BC (BCE) to 500 BC (BCE)	Megalithic burial custom. Co-existence of hunter-gatherers and pastoral groups. Development of chiefdom. Resembles early Tamil-Brahmi script. Knowledge of iron, black and red ware, black ware ceramics. Craft specialists.
Early Historic and Sangam Age	Circa. 300 BC (BCE) to 300 AD (CE)	Cultural traits of Iron age. Kingdoms of Chera, Chola and Pandya. Development of hero worship. Poetic traditions and literature. Trade and exchange by sea. Art, culture, music and dance reached its peak. Highly developed and cultured people.

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4. Timeline: The Course of Cultures in Ancient Tamilagam