Large Flake Acheulian in India: Implications for understanding lower Pleistocene human dispersals

Mishra, Sheila; Gaillard, Claire; Deo, Sushama G.; Singh, Mukesh; Abbas, Riza; Agrawal, Nirupma

doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2009.11.005

Cited by 20 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…The earlier eruption D (Dehn et al 1991), ca 800 ka, is now recognised to be of comparable magnitude; Pattan et al (2010) estimated its total volume of ejecta as ∼2300 km 3 . Tephra derived from Toba is widespread in peninsular India, ∼3000 km from its source, having been identified at many Pleistocene sites (figure 2), including some that have yielded Lower Palaeolithic artefacts that have been classified as Large Flake Acheulian (e.g., Sharon 2007;Mishra et al 2009). Previous attempts at dating these tephras in India have yielded a range of numerical ages, including values in excess of 1 Ma (see below).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

et al. 2011

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“…However, this remains a topic of debate, as indeed does the veracity of pre‐Middle Pleistocene hominin occupation of the Indian subcontinent (cf. Dennell, ; Chauhan, , ; Patnaik et al ., ; Dennell et al ., ; Gaillard et al ., ; Mishra et al ., ; Chauhan and Patnaik, ).…”

Section: The Origin and Dispersal Of Acheulean Industriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Editorial: Chronology, palaeoenvironments and subsistence in the Acheulean of western Europe

Schreve

Moncel

Bridgland

2015

J Quaternary Science

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“…Another important component of the Acheulean is the production of large flakes >100 mm in length (Sharon 2006(Sharon , 2008(Sharon , 2010Mishra et al 2010). Although many of the core forms present in most Acheulean assemblages are largely similar to those in the Oldowan, the production of large flakes in the Oldowan is extremely rare (Harmand et al 2015).…”

Section: Large Flake Acheuleanmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although many of the core forms present in most Acheulean assemblages are largely similar to those in the Oldowan, the production of large flakes in the Oldowan is extremely rare (Harmand et al 2015). Mishra et al (2010) describe this difference according to strategies in core reduction: the Oldowan is characterised by small cores giving rise to small flakes, and the Acheulean, which also retains small cores and flakes, is also characterised by the addition of larger cores that are used to produce larger flakes (along with new flaking strategies to reduce these larger cores; McNabb & Beaumont 2011b). Accordingly, it appears that with the advent of LCTs, a major technological barrier had been broken and the emphasis then shifted to producing these large flake blanks upon which handaxes, cleavers and picks could be produced (Mishra et al 2010;Sharon 2010).…”

Section: Large Flake Acheuleanmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Acheulean in South Africa, with announcement of a new site (Penhill Farm) in the lower Sundays River Valley, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Lotter

Kuman

2018

Quaternary International

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Large Flake Acheulian in India: Implications for understanding lower Pleistocene human dispersals

Cited by 20 publications

References 13 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

Editorial: Chronology, palaeoenvironments and subsistence in the Acheulean of western Europe

The Acheulean in South Africa, with announcement of a new site (Penhill Farm) in the lower Sundays River Valley, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

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