Prehistoric Lithics | Stone Tools, Prehistory, and Indian Archaeology

Prehistoric lithic studies in the IJA document Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, microlithic, pebble-cobble, core-flake, chert, and drill-bit assemblages across Odisha, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Manipur, Gujarat, and Kashmir. Together these papers build a technological geography of stone-tool traditions and connect raw material choice, river valleys, cognition, craft specialization, and regional settlement patterns.

Key Regions

  • Odisha - Burla, Danta Stream, Lanth basin, Tentelpali, Tang River, Khadga River, and Middle Brahmani Valley make Odisha the densest lithic region in the corpus.
  • Vindhyas and Kaimur regions - Acheulian review, Devri microliths, Kharagpur Hills, and Karmanasa surveys connect central and eastern Indian lithic landscapes.
  • Siwalik Frontal Range - Ghumarwin and Kasohal studies focus on core-flake and Palaeolithic evidence in Himalayan foothill settings.
  • Gujarat craft sites - Khambhat bead production and Kanmer drill bits connect stone technology to craft specialization and indus-valley-civilization.
  • Manipur - Reanalysis of Palaeolithic implements introduces northeastern evidence into debates on early cognition and tool traditions.

Key Findings

  1. Odisha is a major lithic laboratory: Repeated surveys make western and central Odisha central to understanding microlithic and raw-material variability.
  2. Raw material studies refine culture history: Chert distribution, stone selection, and tool production strategies are used to distinguish technological choices from mere site density.
  3. Lithic studies overlap with rock art: Tapka, Chitrakoot, and Sonbhadra-region work show microliths and painted shelters as parts of a shared prehistoric landscape.
  4. Harappan stone craft is specialized: Kanmer drill bits and Khambhat bead production show that lithic technology remains crucial even in Bronze Age urban contexts.
  5. Cognitive archaeology appears explicitly: The Manipur paper uses lithic form and production to discuss early hominid cognition, broadening the corpus beyond typology.

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