The correct option is Chirand — Millet
Explanation
The Neolithic Age in the Indian subcontinent is characterized by the transition from hunting-gathering to food production, settled village life, and the use of polished stone tools. Specific sites are identified by distinct agricultural patterns and archaeological remains.Analysis of Pairs:
- (a) Mehrgarh - Wheat and Barley: Correct. Located in Balochistan (Pakistan), Mehrgarh is one of the earliest Neolithic sites. It provides significant evidence for the early cultivation of wheat and barley and the domestication of sheep and goats.
- (b) Mahagara - Rice: Correct. Located in the Belan Valley (Uttar Pradesh), Mahagara is historically significant for evidence of rice cultivation and cattle domestication, indicated by hoof marks on clay surfaces.
- (c) Chirand - Millet: Incorrect. Located in Bihar, Chirand is famous for its bone tools and archaeological evidence of wheat, green gram, barley, buffalo, and ox. Millet is primarily found at Neolithic sites in South India, such as Hallur (Karnataka) and Paiyampalli (Tamil Nadu).
- (d) Daojali Hading - Stone tools: Correct. Located in the North Cachar Hills of Assam, this site yielded polished stone tools, including mortars and pestles used for grinding grain, as well as jadeite stone.
Key Takeaway: Neolithic agricultural patterns vary by region: Wheat and Barley are dominant in the Northwest (Mehrgarh), Rice in the Central/East (Mahagara, Koldihwa), and Millets in the South (Hallur, Paiyampalli).