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.
Understanding geo-archaeology in Trans-Himalaya: a case study based on lithic assemblages from Dzamathang, Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh, India Available to Purchase
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Published:March 31, 2023
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CiteCitation
Ekta Singh, Raman Patel, Rakesh Chandra Bhatt, 2023. "Understanding geo-archaeology in Trans-Himalaya: a case study based on lithic assemblages from Dzamathang, Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh, India", Quaternary Geoarchaeology of India, N. Tiwari, V. Singh, S. B. Mehra
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Abstract
The Spiti Valley is located in the Trans-Himalayan terrain of India, from where non-geometrical microliths have been discovered. While the Siwalik Hills have been subjected to extensive prehistoric surveys, this is the first evidence of lithic tools discovered in the Trans-Himalayan region of Himachal Pradesh, India. Due to its topographical and intense climatic features, the Trans-Himalayan region has generally been regarded as a barrier since prehistoric times. However, Dzamathang cannot be considered as an isolated site in the Trans-Himalayas. In fact, in the adjoining areas of Ladakh, Tibet and Nepal, similar lithics have been reported from several sites and been assigned to the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic. The discovery of this site suggests that the Trans-Himalayan zone may have acted as a possible route rather than a barrier during human migration. Large numbers of lithics have been recovered in the Dzamathang area of the Spiti Valley. Based on the collection of the artefacts from the surface, this paper tries to understand the geological and geographical setting of the area, particularly concerning prehistoric settlements in the Trans-Himalayas. This assemblage consists of assorted artefacts, which include a unifacial chopper, microlithic cores, flakes, blades, bladelets, burin and a large amount of debitage fragments. The majority of artefacts are on quartzite or quartzarenite. Future surveys will be targeted at recovering primary context sites for excavations and absolute dating.
- archaeological sites
- archaeology
- artifacts
- Asia
- Cenozoic
- Himachal Pradesh India
- Himalayas
- human activity
- India
- Indian Peninsula
- metamorphic rocks
- middle Paleolithic
- Paleolithic
- Pleistocene
- quartzites
- Quaternary
- raw materials
- Spiti
- Stone Age
- upper Paleolithic
- Ganmachidam Formation
- Trans-Himalayan region
- Muth Formation
- Lipak Formation
- Po Formation
- debitage
- Dzamathang India