Description

Description

About the Book …

This book in two parts brings together a variety of information related to prehistory of Bharata with contributions of different reputed scholars specialising in their fields. The first part introduces the perceptions of the remote past in Bharata and later, covers the prehistoric period from the Lower Palaeolithic to the Mesolithic in its various dimensions, such as the physiographic layout, prehistoric people and occupation history, prehistoric climatic, floral and faunal environment, early inhabitants, aspects of terminology and tool technology, history of prehistoric research, and detailed discussions on Lower, Middle and Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic cultures.
In the second part, the prehistoric rock art in Bharata is treated comprehensively in its various aspects including a picture of everyday life drawn from Mesolithic rock art, methods of dating rock art and recent developments in rock art study. A discussion on the role of science in modern archaeological investigation in Bharata, a directory of selected prehistory sites in South Asia and a glossary are also included.
The book is extensively illustrated for the benefit of the community of students and readers.

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Contents

Preface

V.Nagaraj iii

Editor’s Words

A.Sundara v

Advisory Body viii

Contributors xii

Introduction A.Sundara and S.V.Padigar xv

Part I

Section A: Perceptions of the Remote Past in Bharata

1. The Land: Bharata in Jambudvipa

A. Sundara

2. Perception of History in Ancient Bharata and Early Traditional History 17

A. Sundara

Section B: The Land and the People

3. Physiographic Layout of Bharatavarsha 45

K. S. Valdiya

4. Prehistoric People and Their Diaspora Based on DNA Studies: A Note 81

P. P. Joglekar

5. Prehistoric Occupation History: Hypotheses, Material Evidence and Genetic Analysis 85

Ragotham S. and A. Sundara

Section C: Prehistoric Environment and Humans

6. Geomorphological Approach to Prehistoric Environment 105

Sushma G. Deo and S. N. Rajaguru

7. Pleistocene Vegetational History and Environment 145

Satish Naik

8. Pleistocene Animal Environment 177

G. L. Badam

9. Footprints of the Early Inhabitants 195

K. Krishnan and Vrushab Mahesh

Section D: Prehistoric Cultures

10. Prehistory: Terminology, Concepts and Interpretation 221

Sheila Mishra

11. Prehistoric Research in South Asia 235

K. Paddayya

Appendix: Robert Bruce Foote and His Contributions 259

K. Paddayya

12. Stone Tools and Technologies of Prehistoric People 267

Ragotham S.

13. Lower Palaeolithic Culture 287

K. Paddayya

14. Middle Palaeolithic Culture 351

J. N. Pal

15. Upper Palaeolithic Culture 375

Sheila Mishra

16. Mesolithic Culture 391

J. N. Pal

Appendix 1: Mesolithic Culture in Northeastern Andhra 435

P. Vijaya Prakash

Appendix 2: Mesolithic Culture of the Kaveri Valley and Further South 453

P. C. Venkatasubbaiah

Appendix 3: Boat and Boatbuilding: Palaeolithic to Mesolithic 475

Ramadas Rao

17. Early Lithic Cultures of the Northeast 479

Manjil Hazarika

Part II

Section E: Prehistoric Rock Art

18. Prehistoric Rock art 511

Northern and Central Bharata 513

Giriraj Kumar

Odisha Region 531

Sadasiba Pradhan

Karnataka: Malaprabha Basin 545

Mohana R.

Andhra, Tamil Nadu and Kerala Regions 556

N. Chandramouli

Appendix 1: Everyday Life from Mesolithic Rock Art of Madhya Pradesh 581

Giriraj Kumar

Appendix 2: Traditional Methods of Dating Rock Art 587

D. P. Tewari

Appendix 3: Scientific Dating of Rock Art: Problems, Prospects and Interpretation 597

Ruman Banerjee, Alistair W.G. Pike, David A. Richards, Katherine

Robson Brown, Ajay Pratap

Appendix 4: Recent Developments in Scientific Study of Rock Art 617

Giriraj Kumar

Appendix 5: Authors of Rock Art in Bharata 639

D. P. Tewari

Section F: General Appendixes

1. Science in Archaeological Investigation 645

Vijay Sathe

2. A Directory of Selected Prehistoric Sites in South Asia 695

Shanti Pappu and Akhilesh Kumar

3. Glossary 747

General Bibliography 781

Index 863

Managing Committee