The Personality of India: Pre- and Proto-historic Foundation of India and Pakistan c13.s1.5

c13.s1.5

With this introduction we pass on to the study of the river Sohan, a tributary of the river Indus in the Potwar region (Fig. 12). It has preserved five terraces showing its history and fortunately human tools have been found in association with them. The first terrace (400 feet) and the third (120 feet) can be directly linked with the moraines of the II and III Glacial periods, making its chronology and stratigraphy certain. The human tools have been found in all the four top terraces. De Terra and Paterson have divided the stone tools into three main groups. The earliest called 'Pre-Sohan or Soan' is found in the huge boulder beds or Conglomerate belonging to the II Glaciation. After a critical evaluation of the African pebble industries including the Kafuan, K. P. Oakley has recently questioned the propriety of accepting some of these as tools. He has suggested the possibility of accidental removal of large Clacton-like flakes by nature.¹ Even about the Sohan, it is necessary for one to be very wary about the nature of these tools.² According to the authors of the report, the tools consist of large flakes struck off the cores without any elaborate preparations and can be compared to the 'Clactonian industry'. Very little attempt is made to retouch or sharpen the edges by further flaking.