The Paleolithic
↑ Pliocene (before Homo)
Lower Paleolithic
 (c. 3.3 Ma – 300 ka)
Middle Paleolithic
 (c. 300–50 ka)
Upper Paleolithic
 (c. 50–12 ka)

Fertile Crescent:

Europe:

Africa:

Siberia:

↓ Mesolithic

The Madrasian culture is a prehistoric archaeological culture of the Indian subcontinent, dated to the Lower Paleolithic, the earliest subdivision of the Stone Age.[1][2] It belongs to the Acheulian industry, and some scholars consider the distinction between the Madrasian and the broader, regional Acheulian tradition defunct.[3][4]

Discovery

[edit]

The Madrasian was named for its type site of Attirampakkam (then part of the Madras Presidency, near Chennai), discovered by British archaeologist and geologist Robert Bruce Foote in 1863.[2][3] The oldest tools at Attirampakkam are dating back to 1.5 million years, found by using cosmic-ray exposure dating.[5]

Tools

[edit]

The Madrasian is characterized by bifacial handaxes and cleavers[6] but includes flake tools, microliths and other chopping tools. Most were made from quartzite, unlike Hint, which is used in Europe.[7][8] Hand-axes have a pear shape or oval shape, flaking on both faces.[7]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Armand, J (1985). "The Emergence of the Handaxe Tradition in Asia, with special reference to India". In V. N. Misra, Peter S. Bellwood (ed.). Recent advances in Indo-Pacific prehistory: proceedings of the international symposium held at Poona, December 19-21, 1978. BRILL. pp. 3–. ISBN 978-90-04-07512-2. Retrieved August 24, 2011.
  2. ^ a b Avari, Burjor (5 June 2007). India, the Ancient Past: a history of the Indian sub-continent from c. 7000 BC to AD 1200. Routledge. pp. 25–. ISBN 978-0-415-35616-9. Retrieved 16 October 2011.
  3. ^ a b Kenneth Oakley (30 April 2007). "Paleolithic Cultures in Asia". Frameworks for Dating Fossil Man. Transaction Publishers. pp. 229–. ISBN 978-0-202-30960-6. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
  4. ^ Upinder Singh (1 September 2008). A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century. Pearson Education India. pp. 73–. ISBN 978-81-317-1120-0. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
  5. ^ Pappu, Shanti; Gunnell, Yanni; Akhilesh, Kumar; Braucher, Régis; Taieb, Maurice; Demory, François; Thouveny, Nicolas (2011-03-25). "Early Pleistocene Presence of Acheulian Hominins in South India". Science. 331 (6024): 1596–1599. Bibcode:2011Sci...331.1596P. doi:10.1126/science.1200183. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 21436450. S2CID 206531024.
  6. ^ Reddy (1 December 2006). Indian Hist (Opt). Tata McGraw-Hill Education. pp. 1–. ISBN 978-0-07-063577-7. Retrieved 16 October 2011.
  7. ^ a b "Paleolithic Period in India: The Soan and Madras Culture". Your Article Library. 2014-06-20. Retrieved 2024-05-20.
  8. ^ Sen, Sailendra Nath (1 January 1999). Ancient Indian History and Civilization. New Age International. pp. 23–. ISBN 978-81-224-1198-0. Retrieved 16 October 2011.
Categories