Format: Paper presentations with discussion
Convenors:
Dr Anubhav Preet Kaur, Centre for Interdisciplinary Archaeological Research, Ashoka University, India, anubhavpreetk@gmail.com
Dr Shashi B. Mehra, Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, The MSU Baroda, India, mehrashashi15@gmail.com
Dr Vivek Singh, Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures, Tel Aviv University, Israel, vivekghlwt@gmail.com
The Plio-Pleistocene interval (last ca. 5.3 million years) is marked by a shift from stable-warm periods in the Pliocene to a more variable, colder climate in the Pleistocene, characterised by weakened monsoons and an overall increase in aridity. During the Pleistocene, the climate oscillated between wetter and drier conditions, with evidence of stepwise increases in climate variability and aridity at approximately 2.8 Ma, 1.7 Ma, and 1.0 Ma. Additionally, a prolongation of climatic oscillations between glacial and interglacial cycles occurred after ~1.4 Ma, a phase known as the Early-Middle Pleistocene Transition. These climatic changes triggered significant vegetation shifts and turnover in large herbivore communities which had profound impacts on human evolution, dispersal, and adaptation. This session invites papers and posters focusing on understanding the dynamics between regional ecological change/variability and hominin adaptations during the Pleistocene across Asia. By examining past ecological changes and their impact on hominin populations we can better understand how humans have demonstrated continuity, resilience, and transformation in response to climate fluctuations and ecological change. This session aims to bring together research concerning palaeolithic transitions, prehistoric land-use patterns, faunal turnovers, and palaeoclimate transitions throughout the Pleistocene in Asia to develop a robust understanding of the human-animal-environment interface.
Papers:
Geoarchaeological Insights into Quaternary Artefact Preservation and Sedimentary Dynamics at the Prehistoric Site of Paisra
Jose Tom Rapheal, Assistant Prof., Dept of Ancient Indian History, Culture & Archaeology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
Pratik Pandey, Research Scholar, Dept of Ancient Indian History, Culture & Archaeology, Banaras Hindu University, India
Manish Kumar Rai, Research Scholar, Dept of Neurology IMS, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
Satyam Bharti, Research Scholar, Dept of Ancient Indian History, Culture & Archaeology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
The prehistoric site of Paisra, explored since the 1970s, presents a cultural sequence from the Lower Palaeolithic to the Mesolithic. Recent exploration in 2022 uncovered stone artefacts eroding from slope deposits, revealing dynamic sedimentary and geomorphic processes. These sediments primarily reworked weathered regolith inherited from the Tertiary, preserving artefacts ranging from Large Flake Acheulian to flake and blade-based assemblages, and signifying human occupation spanning most of the Quaternary. The artefacts’ incorporation into sediments appears in situ, suggesting minimal transport and exceptional preservation.
The site lies in undulating terrain between the river plain and basin divide, with rare flat, uneroded patches possibly stabilised by localised environmental factors. Seasonal activity of fluvial drainage, originating from the highest-order streams, influences sediment deposition. Relict-weathered regolith and Quaternary sediments persist despite active slope wash, small-scale mass wasting, and gullying, which now expose artefacts through erosion.
The assemblages exhibit unique technological features, reflecting local adaptations or distinct manufacturing traditions. Their diversity provides insights into technological transitions over time. Key research questions include the persistence of flat surfaces, mechanisms of regolith transport, and the artefacts’ chronological and environmental contexts. Paisra’s stratigraphic complexity offers a rare opportunity to study prehistoric lifeways and human-environment interactions in Indian subcontinent.
‘Transcripts’ from Lithic Sources: The Technical Adaptation of Stone Tools from the Middle Son Valley, India
Neha Singh, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
Jose Tom Rapheal, Assistant Prof., Dept of Ancient Indian History, Culture & Archaeology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
The Middle Son Valley is home to a rich array of prehistoric sites, encompassing both Acheulian and Post-Acheulian traditions. This region has been extensively studied for its significance in the transitional phases of prehistoric lithic technology and its association with major geological events, which is denoted by the presence of Toba ash. Typo-technological analyses from earlier research have demonstrated technological shifts in lithic artefacts over time.
The present study focuses on a detailed analysis of lithic artefacts from three prominent sites: Dhekua, Dhaba, and Bada Gaon. The artefacts from these sites reveal unique and repetitive patterns, reflecting shared cognitive behaviours in the stone tool technologies both within and between sites. These behavioural patterns indicate a collective knowledge system shared among hominins in the region, likely shaped by specific environmental and cultural conditions.
This paper explores these unique patterns in lithic technology and discusses the possible circumstances that may have influenced hominin behaviour, particularly their adaptation strategies in response to changing environments and challenges.
Technological Adaptations and Variability in the Microlithic Assemblage of Jogdaha, Middle Son Valley
Srijan Singh, Banaras Hindu University, India
Dr Jose Tom Rapheal, Assistant Prof., Dept of Ancient Indian History, Culture & Archaeology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
Pratik Pandey, Research Scholar, Dept of Ancient Indian History, Culture & Archaeology, Banaras Hindu University, India
Neha Singh, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
Satyam Bharti, Research Scholar, Dept of Ancient Indian History, Culture & Archaeology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
Manish Kumar Rai, Research Scholar, Dept of Neurology IMS, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
The technology of microliths has a history that traces back to the emergence of anatomically modern humans. Some of the earliest microlithic sites in the Indian subcontinent provide evidence that microlithic assemblages persisted until the Iron Age cultures in India. This long continuity highlights adaptive strategies tailored to diverse environmental niches in both time and space.
The microliths discovered at the site of Jogdaha in the middle Son Valley offer valuable insights into the technological adaptations of hominins in this region. These adaptations are reflected in the selection of specific raw materials and the use of ad hoc techniques to overcome flaws and impurities in the available resources. The variations observed in microblade production across the region are crucial for understanding the broader microlithic tradition within the Indian subcontinent.
Such techno-typological differences may have resulted from multiple factors, including the migration of new groups into the area. These groups might have brought with them a well-developed microlithic tradition from other regions but faced challenges in sourcing suitable raw materials in the new environment. This study further sheds light on the settlement patterns, subsistence strategies, and social organization of the communities that once inhabited this landscape.
The Palaeoenvironmental Context for Early Pleistocene Homo Dispersals in the Levant from Multi proxy Analyses of Biogenic Carbonates, Ubeidiya, Israel
Amy Prendergast, School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Melbourne, Australia
Zuorui Liu, School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Melbourne, Australia
Sarah Pederzani, Archaeological Micromorphology and Biomarkers Laboratory (AMBI Lab), Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica “Antonio González”, University of La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Dept of Human Evolution, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
Russell Drysdale, School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Melbourne, Australia
Miriam Belmaker, Dept of Anthropology and Sociology, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
The Levant was a key early Pleistocene corridor for hominin dispersals from Africa to Eurasia. However, debate ensues over how climatic fluctuations may have influenced these dispersals. Whilst global and regional palaeoclimatic trends are well established, there is a paucity of local-scale palaeoenvironmental reconstructions associated with early Pleistocene Homo dispersals. Ubeidiya, Israel contains some of the earliest hominin dispersal evidence outside of Africa (1.4 ± 0.2 Ma) and a rich faunal assemblage including abundant freshwater gastropod shells, and animal teeth. This enables local palaeoenvironmental reconstructions via multi-proxy analyses. We characterised the local environment and hydroclimate from Ubeidiya using shell and tooth geochemistry. Bulk and high-resolution sequential oxygen (δ18O) and carbon (δ13C) stable isotope analyses revealed that hydrological conditions fluctuated several times throughout the sequence. High amplitude δ18O variability around 1.58 Ma, possibly indicates a more seasonal distribution of rainfall at this time. In agreement with other proxies emerging from this site, this evidence suggests that early Pleistocene Homo were not reliant on grasslands but were adaptable to new habitats and were resilient to significant palaeoenvironmental fluctuations. By providing local, high-resolution palaeoenvironmental context for the early Pleistocene Levant, this study facilitates a more nuanced understanding of early Homo dispersal patterns.
Persistence, Adaptations and Barriers: Exploring the Interplay of Lithic Raw Materials, Technologies and Landscape in Lower Son Valley, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh, India
Shashi B. Mehra, Dept of Archaeology and Ancient History, The Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda, Pratapgunj, Gujarat, India; Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Punjab, India
This study highlights the possible raw material sources, their exploitation during different technologies and the influence of landscape on their spatial distribution in the Lower Son Valley (LSV). The Lower Son Valley exhibits a clear geographical division, characterised by two distinct regions: 1) the Kaimur Plateau situated to the north of the Son River, and 2) the network of river valleys, ravines, and hills located to the south of the Son River. Archaeological sites on the Kaimur Plateau primarily feature microlithic assemblages and are predominantly situated on bedrock with minimal sedimentation. In contrast, sites to the south showcase Middle Palaeolithic to Upper Palaeolithic lithic industries, with one notable Late Acheulean site. This spatial differentiation can be attributed to factors such as raw material availability, transportation logistics, and the topographical barrier posed by the Kaimur Plateau. The investigation identifies seven primary raw materials utilised for lithic tool production within the LSV, with porcellanite (69.39%), followed by chert (22.83%), quartz (4.01%), chalcedony (2.34%), quartzite (0.83%), agate (0.5%), and limestone (0.08%). Overall, this contributes to a deeper understanding of hominin adaptation and mobility pattern in LSV.