Palaeolithic Chronology, Dating Methods, Material Culture, and Key Sites

Flashcards covering Palaeolithic epochs, dating methods, flaking techniques, material culture, and key global and Indian sites.

Carbon-14 Dating

An absolute dating method for organisms based on nitrogen-decay, with a $5730\text{-year}$ half-life and a limit of $50,000\text{-years}$.

Dendrochronology

An absolute, climate-sensitive dating method based on tree-rings and wood-samples.

Potassium-Argon (K-Ar) Dating

An absolute dating method for volcanic ash/rocks based on K-40/Ar-40 ratio with a $1.3\text{-lion-year}$ half-life.

Fission-Track Dating

An absolute dating method for volcanic glass based on uranium decay.

Stratigraphy

A relative dating method where the lowest layer is oldest, though terrace stratigraphy is reversed.

Fluorine-Dating

A relative dating method based on bone/teeth absorption of groundwater fluorine.

Lower Palaeolithic Epoch

A Palaeolithic epoch spanning $2.5\text{M}-100,000\text{ BCE}$ (India: $500,000-100,000\text{ BCE}$) associated with Homo erectus.

Middle Palaeolithic Epoch

A Palaeolithic epoch spanning $100,000-36,000\text{ BCE}$ associated with Neanderthal.

Upper Palaeolithic Epoch

A Palaeolithic epoch spanning $36,000-9,000\text{ BCE}$ associated with Homo sapiens and cave art.

Northern-Hemisphere Pleistocene Cycles

Glacial climatic cycles consisting of Gunz $\rightarrow$ Mindel $\rightarrow$ Riss $\rightarrow$ Wurm.

Southern-Hemisphere Pleistocene Cycles

Pluvial climatic cycles consisting of Kageran $\rightarrow$ Kanjeran $\rightarrow$ Kamasian $\rightarrow$ Gamblian.

Lower Palaeolithic Toolkit

Material culture made of quartzite using direct-hammer technique, including chopper-chopping, handaxes, and cleavers.

Middle Palaeolithic Toolkit

Material culture made of crypto-crystalline-silica using pecking or direct-hammer techniques, including scrapers and points.

Upper Palaeolithic Toolkit

Material culture made of quartz/bone using cylinder-hammer technique, including blades and harpoons.

Anvil Technique

A block-on-block flaking technique where a core is struck on a fixed stone.

Stone-Hammer Technique

A direct-impact flaking technique where the core is flaked.

Stepped-Flaking

A flaking technique using inward blows to produce controlled short flakes.

Vaal Technique

A biface-thinning flaking technique associated with the Madrasian culture.

Narmada Valley Site

An Indian site known for Narmada Man, the only human fossil found in India.

Bhimbetka (MP)

A site discovered by V.S. Wakankar ($1957$) and excavated by V.N. Misra ($1973-1976$) featuring Cave III F-23, $8$ cultural layers, and Acheulian tools ($< 25\%$ tool thickness, no choppers).

Didwana (Rajasthan)

A site excavated by V.N. Misra ($1980\text{s}$) with $3$ depositional phases where cleavers are absent.

Kuliana & Kamarpara (Odisha)

Sites in Odisha excavated by N.K. Bose & Dharani Sen ($1939-1942$) characterized by pebble butts.

Madrasian Culture

A culture centered at Attirampakkam discovered by R.B. Foote ($1863$) using Vaal technique, with a hafting claim made by H.D. Sankalia.

Soan Valley (Pakistan)

A site excavated by De Terra & Paterson ($1935$) dating to $500,000-125,000\text{ BCE}$ with terraces TD to T5.

Zone TD (Pre-Soan)

A Soan Valley zone made of quartzite that is $\sim 2\text{ million years old}$.

Zone T1 (Early Soan)

A Soan Valley zone characterized by chopper-chopping tools and direct-hammer technique.

Zone T2 (Late Soan)

A Soan Valley zone dominated by Levalloisian flakes and flake tools.

Chauntra (Pakistan)

A site featuring a cultural mix of Late Soan and Abbevillo-Acheulian.

European Palaeolithic Sites

Key Palaeolithic sites in Europe including Abbeville & St. Acheul (France), Clacton-on-Sea (UK), and Le Moustier (France).

Global Asian & African Palaeolithic Sites

Palaeolithic sites including Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania, oldest), Kenya, Uganda, and Denisova Cave (Russia).