An Early MIS 3 Lithic Assemblage from India

The origin and timing of modern human dispersal is of great interest to various disciplines. Archaeological data over the past couple of decades has shown that microlithic technology was already present in the Indian subcontinent by early MIS 3. Microlithic blade technology is often considered as proxy for the presence of modern humans. At present, there are around ten archaeological sites within the Indian subcontinent that are dated within the early MIS 3 and associated with the microlithic blade technology.

The site of Mehtakheri in central India has yielded one of the earliest dated microlithic assemblage from the Indian subcontinent. The site has a long sequence of archaeological record. The archaeological horizon-2 from the site is characterised by microlithic blade technology and dated around 48 ka. The talk shall focus on the lithic assemblage from a MIS 3 archaeological horizon from Mehtakheri.

The dates for microlithic technology in India are as old as those from Levant, which are presently considered the oldest in the world. The early presence of microlithic technology in India, compared to Southeast Asia and Australia is rarely incorporated into reconstructions of possible Modern Human dispersals to southeast Asia and Australia.