Prehistoric Lithics
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
- Odisha is a major lithic laboratory: Repeated surveys make western and central Odisha central to understanding microlithic and raw-material variability.
- Raw material studies refine culture history: Chert distribution, stone selection, and tool production strategies are used to distinguish technological choices from mere site density.
- Lithic studies overlap with rock art: Tapka, Chitrakoot, and Sonbhadra-region work show microliths and painted shelters as parts of a shared prehistoric landscape.
- Harappan stone craft is specialized: Kanmer drill bits and Khambhat bead production show that lithic technology remains crucial even in Bronze Age urban contexts.
- Cognitive archaeology appears explicitly: The Manipur paper uses lithic form and production to discuss early hominid cognition, broadening the corpus beyond typology.
Related Articles
Vol 2, No. 3
Investigation into the Microlithic Assemblages with Pebble-Cobble Tool Component below Tephra at Burla, Odisha, India
Pradeep K. Behera, Neena Thakur, M. Sudarshan, B. Chatterjee
SEE JOURNAL→Vol 3, No. 1
Stone beads production in Khambhat, Gujarat: An Ethno-archaeological Study
Rajesh Kumar Meena
SEE JOURNAL→Vol 3, No. 2
Lithic Assemblages from Lanth River Basin, Bolangir, Odisha: A Preliminary Report
Dr. Sudam Deep
SEE JOURNAL→Vol 3, No. 2
Stone Drill bits from Kanmer, Gujarat
A unique Harappan Site in Kachchh — Dr. Rajesh Kumar Meena
SEE JOURNAL→Vol 4, No. 1
Recent Prehistoric explorations in the Manjira river valley of the Telangana State, India
M. Ganesh
SEE JOURNAL→Vol 4, No. 2
A Review of the Researches on the Acheulian Culture in the Vindhyas, North-central India
J.N. Pal
SEE JOURNAL→Vol 4, No. 3
Analysis of Microlithic Assemblages from Tentelpali Site, Bargarh Odisha, India
Sudam Deep
SEE JOURNAL→Vol 5, No. 1
An observation on the use of Chert and their distribution in prehistoric sites of Tang River Valley in west Odisha, India
Sudam Deep
SEE JOURNAL→Vol 7, No. 1
Prehistoric Investigation in Sagileru River Basin, Andhra Pradesh: A Preliminary Report
Ravinder & Manoj Kumar Singh
SEE JOURNAL→Vol 7, No. 2
Preliminary Investigations in the Lower Khadga Stream, Kandhmal District Odisha
Sudam Jhankar & Neena Thakur
SEE JOURNAL→Vol 7, No. 3
Study of Microlithic Artifacts Recovered from Prehistoric Site Devri in Panna District of Madhya Pradesh, India: New Discovery
Devideen Patel & Yogambar Singh Farswan
SEE JOURNAL→Vol 7, No. 4
Understanding the Surficial occurrences of Core and Flake Assemblage from the Ghumarwin Locality of Siwalik Frontal Range, Himachal Pradesh
Worrel Kumar Bain & Prof. Dwipen Bezbaruah
SEE JOURNAL→Vol 8, No. 2
Newly Discovered Prehistoric Sites in Khadga River Valley, Odisha
Dr. Sudam Jhankar
SEE JOURNAL→Vol 8, No. 4
Revaluation of Palaeolithic Implements, their Cultural Affinity and the Cognitive Assessment of Early Hominids in Manipur
Ahongsangbam Kingson Singh & Prof. Oinam Ranjit Singh
SEE JOURNAL→Vol 9, No. 1
From Stones to Tools: Examining Raw Material Variability and Tool Production in Prehistoric sites of Middle Brahmani Valley, Odisha
Dr. Subodha Mendaly
SEE JOURNAL→Vol 9, No. 2
Introducing Kasohal: A Newly Discovered Paleolithic Site in the Siwalik Frontal Range, Himachal Pradesh
Worrel Kumar Bain & Dwipen Bezbaruah
SEE JOURNAL→Vol 10, No. 1
Prehistoric Exploration in the Kharagpur Hills of Bihar – A Preliminary Report
Ravinder & Manoj Kumar Singh
SEE JOURNAL→Vol 11, No. 1
Tapka: A Newly Discovered Rock Art Site in Sonbhadra Region, Uttar Pradesh
Manisha Singh, Sarvesh Yadav et al.
SEE JOURNAL→