Quaternary Geoarchaeology of India

The Quaternary Period in South Asia has a very prolonged and diverse history. Within this region, India represents various technological and cultural phases of hominin occupation adapting to different ecological zones throughout the Quaternary Period. The earliest records of this occupation can be traced back to 1.5 Ma ago and possibly to c. 2 Ma ago. Archaeological evidence has been reported from all known phases in India, showing a continuous record of occupation from the Early Pleistocene onwards and reflecting adaptation by multiple hominin species over time. This book aims to highlight recent advances in the Quaternary geoarchaeology by showcasing diverse methods such as archaeology, geology, palaeoclimatology, sedimentology, GIS, remote sensing and taphonomy. It presents a collection of papers that address various geoarchaeological aspects from different regions in India, within the time frame of the Early Pleistocene to Anthropocene. This volume provides an opportunity for new data to be disseminated, particularly by young researchers and, within the framework of worldwide research issues, it promotes new geoarchaeological perspectives from India.
Acheulian artefacts and tephra from Upland Western Maharashtra (Deccan Volcanic Province), Peninsular India Available to Purchase
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Published:March 31, 2023
Abstract
The two Early Acheulian sites of Bori and Morgaon in the Deccan Volcanic Province in Upland Maharashtra, India bear some association with an acidic tephra deposit in a fluvial context. Acheulian artefacts in association with tephra were first reported in India from the Bori site and numerous efforts to date this tephra have since been undertaken. These efforts employed various dating methods and produced a total of 10 absolute dates ranging from the Early Pleistocene with a maximum age of 1.4 Ma to the Late Pleistocene with a minimum age of 23.4 ± 2.4 ka. However, field observations and a typo-technological analysis strongly suggests that these Early Acheulian artefacts occur in a semi-primary context, and thus contest the Late Pleistocene age of the tephra and redeposition of the artefacts as argued by some scholars.
At Morgaon, the Acheulian artefacts have been recovered from basal fluvial sediments that contain clasts of laterite. These sediments are capped by two low-energy clay facies that are separated by high-energy gravel lenses. The tephra at Morgaon has been reported from the upper clay facies and has produced absolute dates ranging from the Matuyama period (>0.78 Ma) to the Late Pleistocene (41 ka).
After more than two decades of investigation at these sites, the number of absolute dates procured through methods such as electron spin resonance (ESR), 39Ar–40Ar, U–Th and palaeomagnetism, although encouraging, are inconclusive. This paper is therefore an attempt to gauge the nature of the palaeolandscapes that most probably existed during the Early Quaternary. This will be achieved by studying local geomorphological variability between the two sites, along with a preliminary analysis of lithic morphology.