Introducing Pandado: a newly discovered Acheulean site in the central Narmada Valley (CNV), India

Abstract

The central Narmada valley (CNV) is well-known for yielding rich Paleolithic and fossil sites in the Indian Subcontinent. The earliest dated evidence in the CNV is at least 800 Ka old, and out of all Paleolithic technologies, Acheulean is most represented. In the absence of absolute dates, lithic technology has been provisionally used here as a criterion for defining the relative chrono-cultural affinities of the Paleolithic sites. Here, we present the assemblage from Pandado, a newly discovered Acheulean occurrence in the northern part of the valley. This site lies in close proximity to Pilikarar, known for its rich occurrence of Early Acheulean assemblages. Pandado is represented by two lithic localities, which has yielded 279 artifacts from surface and in situ stratified contexts. Typo-technological analysis and comparative data from other Indian Acheulean sites have been used. Based on the results, the data indicates that Pandado is closely associated with Early Acheulean technology.