U.P.P.C.S. Prelims 2010

History of Archaeology

Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation

The three-age system divided into stone, bronze and iron from the collection of Copenhagen Museum was coined by-

Solution & Analysis

Answer: A

Concept The classification of human prehistory based on the primary materials used for tools (Stone, Bronze, Iron) revolutionized archaeological chronology.

Explanation Christian Jürgensen Thomson, a Danish curator at the Copenhagen Museum, first organized the collection chronologically in the 1820s and published the 'Guide to Northern Antiquities' in 1836.

Logical Breakup

Thomson (A): Created the tripartite division (Stone, Bronze, Iron).

Lubbock (B): Later subdivided the Stone Age into Paleolithic and Neolithic.

Childe (D): Known for defining the 'Neolithic Revolution'.

Active Recall

Question

What was the basis for Thomson's classification?

Answer

He observed that tools made of stone were simpler and found in deeper layers, followed by bronze, then iron, reflecting technological progression.

Core Insight

The Three-Age system provided the first scientific framework for dating the past without relying solely on written records or religious texts.

The three-age system divided into stone, bronze and iron from the collection of Copenhagen Museum was coined by-

Solution & Analysis

Active Recall

Core Insight

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