Earliest Acheulian Industry from Peninsular India

Mishra, Sheila; Venkatesan, T. R.; Rajaguru, S. N.; Somayajulu, B.L.K.

doi:10.1086/204442

Cited by 59 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Horn et al (1993) used magnetic separation to remove magnetic minerals from the Bori tephra, obtaining a K-Ar date on the resulting non-magnetic fraction of 538±47 ka (±1σ); they also reported a fission-track date from the same glass sample of 640 ± 290 ka (±1σ), as well as a thermoluminescence (TL) date of 23.4 ± 2.4 ka. Mishra et al (1995) reported three Ar-Ar dates for the Bori tephra, as listed in table 2. To obtain these they used sieving to remove material with particle size <43 μm and also used a magnetic separator to remove magnetic materials, primarily biotite, thus restricting the dating to the glassy component of the tephra.…”

Section: Previous Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For each of the samples, ∼60-80% of the 39 Ar release occurred in step-heating splits with Middle Pleistocene apparent ages, the highest-temperature argon release splits being associated with much older apparent ages. Mishra et al (1995) concluded that their sample 1B, which yielded the weighted plateau age of 540±30 ka (±1σ), was disturbed and, thus, averaged together the ages of their other two samples (1A and 3) to obtain a best estimate of the age for the site of 670±30 ka (±1σ). Mishra et al (1995) also reported Ar-Ar dates of 15.5 ± 1.3 Ma (±1σ) and 16.3 ± 1.3 Ma (±1σ) for the magnetic minerals separated out from their samples 1B and 3; however, they offered no explanation for these numerical ages or for the apparent ages of the material contibuting the highest-temperature argon release splits for their glass samples.…”

Section: Previous Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This paper will summarize the history of previous studies on this topic, before presenting the results of our own analysis of five tephra samples, four of which will be shown to have yielded meaningful numerical ages. However, no attempt will be made to review the Pleistocene stratigraphy of any sites; the existing literature (e.g., Mishra et al 1995;Tiwari et al 1996;Petraglia et al 1999Gaffer et al 2001;Westaway et al 2003;Shete 2006;Mishra 2007Mishra , 2008Sangode et al 2007;Gaillard et al 2009;Jones and Pal 2009;and references therein) includes detailed site maps, cross-sections and discussions of stratigraphic relations. The five sites for which tephra samples are analysed are Morgaon, Bori, Gandhigram, Simbhora and Pawla (figure 2).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Methods for determination of the age of Pleistocene tephra, derived from eruption of Toba, in central India

et al. 2011

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Tephra, emplaced as a result of Pleistocene eruption of the Indonesian 'supervolcano' Toba, occurs at many localities in India. However, the ages of these deposits have hitherto been contentious; some workers have argued that these deposits mark the most recent eruption (eruption A, ca 75 ka), although at some sites they are stratigraphically associated with Acheulian (Lower Palaeolithic) artefacts. Careful examination of the geochemical composition of the tephras, which are composed predominantly of shards of rhyolitic glass, indicates that discrimination between the products of eruption A and eruption D (ca 790 ka) of Toba is difficult. Nonetheless, this comparison favours eruption D as the source of the tephra deposits at some sites in India, supporting the long-held view that the Lower Palaeolithic of India spans the late Early Pleistocene. In principle, these tephra deposits should be dateable using the K-Ar system; however, previous experience indicates contamination by a small proportion of ancient material, resulting in apparent ages that exceed the true ages of the tephras. We have established the optimum size-fraction in which the material from Toba is concentrated, 53-61 μm, and have considered possible origins for the observed contamination. We also demonstrate that Ar-Ar analysis of four out of five of our samples has yielded material with an apparent age similar to that expected for eruption D. These numerical ages, of 809 ± 51, 714 ± 62, 797 ± 45 and 827 ± 39 ka for the tephras at Morgaon, Bori, Gandhigram and Simbhora, provide a weighted mean age for this eruption of 799 ± 24 ka (plus-or-minus two standard deviations). However, these numerical ages are each derived from no more than 10-20% of the argon release in each sample, which is not ideal. Nonetheless, our results demonstrate that it is feasible, in principle, to date this difficult material using the Ar-Ar technique; future follow-up studies will therefore be able to refine our preparation and analysis procedures to better optimize the dating.

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Section: Previous Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Previous Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Methods for determination of the age of Pleistocene tephra, derived from eruption of Toba, in central India

et al. 2011

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“…The appearance of the Acheulean may be further constrained in Pakistan by its absence in the Pabbi Hills before 1.2 and probably 0.9 my a (Hurcombe and Dennell 1993). In India, the earliest Acheulean dates are c. 670 kya fronL Bori (18° N) (Mishra et al 1995), but are likely to be older, given new evidence from Bose, South China. There, hand axes have been found that are associated with tektites that are dated to 800 kya (Hou et al 2000).…”

Section: Archaeological Evidence For Hominids In Early Middle Pleistomentioning

confidence: 99%

Hominid Dispersals and Asian Biogeography during the Lower and Early Middle Pleistocene, c. 2.0-0.5 Mya

Dennell¹

2004

asi

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This paper examines the environmental context of human dispersals into Asia up to 0.5 mya. These dispersals were probably intermittent, often discontinuous, and initially confined to warm grasslands and open woodlands across southern Asia. During the Early Pleistocene, the effects of the uplift of Tibet and the inception of the monsoon were muted by the low-amplitude nature of northern hemisphere glaciations. By the Middle Pleistocene, further uplift, stronger monsoonal circulation, and higher-amplitude, glacial-interglacial cycles made much of Southwest and Central Asia more arid than previously. Two other Mid-Pleistocene developments were important: first, the appearance of Acheulean assemblages, possibly as far east as southern China; and secondly, the first appearance of hominids at latitudes 40–45oN during interglacial episodes. Hominid dispersals in both Europe and Asia were probably broadly similar in that hominids did not habitually live beyond 40oN until c. 500 kya. Rather than dividing Asia longitudinally into areas east or west of the Movius line, latitudinal divisions between warm/hot and cool/cold environments might be more appropriate.

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“…The chronology of early humans in Europe is intrinsically tied to the results of paleomagnetic investigations at all excavation sites. Many researchers have tried to interpret the age implications of various geochronological methods and magneto polarity studies that have been applied to recover absolute age for the Quaternary sections and recognize key beds if possible [1][2][3][4]. In many cases the inferences are contradictory.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Correlation Problem in Quaternary Stratigraphy, Prehistrory and Archaeostratigraphy in India: Role of 75 Ka Toba Ash Bed Markers

Sk¹

2017

AAOA

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Quaternary sediments in India mainly occur in river basins that host fossil bones, stone implements. Quaternary stratigraphy has significantly improved in correlation status after the recognition of the 75 ka Toba Ash Bed Marker. Older Quaternary sediments with reversed magnetic polarity have remained largely unstudied. Two gravel beds in Quaternary sequence can be biostratigraphically distinguished. The older is characterized by Mid Pleistocene fauna and it also includes the calvarium of Narmada man. A baby skull is human skull is also reported recently from Odai, Tamilnadu. The upper gravel and sand is characterized by extant vertebrate fauna and it also contains the Toba Ash Bed Marker. The gravel horizons are often undifferentiated due to non preservations of typical features.

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Earliest Acheulian Industry from Peninsular India

Cited by 59 publications

References 5 publications

Methods for determination of the age of Pleistocene tephra, derived from eruption of Toba, in central India

Methods for determination of the age of Pleistocene tephra, derived from eruption of Toba, in central India

Hominid Dispersals and Asian Biogeography during the Lower and Early Middle Pleistocene, c. 2.0-0.5 Mya

Correlation Problem in Quaternary Stratigraphy, Prehistrory and Archaeostratigraphy in India: Role of 75 Ka Toba Ash Bed Markers

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