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.
Microlithic occurrences associated with sediments dated to terminal Pleistocene–Late Holocene in the central Narmada Basin, Madhya Pradesh, India
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Published:March 31, 2023
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CiteCitation
Nupur Tiwari, P. Morthekai, K. Krishnan, Parth R. Chauhan, 2023. "Microlithic occurrences associated with sediments dated to terminal Pleistocene–Late Holocene in the central Narmada Basin, Madhya Pradesh, India", Quaternary Geoarchaeology of India, N. Tiwari, V. Singh, S. B. Mehra
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Abstract
The earliest occurrence of microliths in South Asia dates back to the Late Pleistocene at Mehtakheri (45 ka) and Dhaba (48 ka) in Central India, Jwalapuram 9 in Southern India (38 ka), Kana and Mahadebbara in Northeastern India (42–25 ka) and Batadomba-Lena (35–36 ka) and Fa Hien Lena (48 ka) in Sri Lanka. Microlithic technology is distributed across the entire Indian Subcontinent and chronologically continues up to the Iron Age and Early Historic periods. This chapter discusses new data acquired from the first author's doctoral research in the two districts of Madhya Pradesh (Hoshangabad – now renamed Narmadapuram – and Sehore), which fall within the central part of the Narmada Basin in central India. We present here preliminary dates from key areas of distribution to understand the geochronological contexts of microliths at Pilikarar, Morpani and Gurla-Sukkarwada. Initial dates from these respective occurrences range between 14 ka and 3 ka.