Early India and Pakistan to Ashoka c6.s2.4

c6.s2.4

These early implements, which have been christened 'Pre-Soan', are worthy of their lowly position in the human scale. They are characteristically big flakes or split pebbles of quartzite, with large unfaceted striking-platforms mostly at angles of 100-125 degrees and with large, flat but well-marked cones of percussion. Their upper surface is usually unflaked, and there is no secondary working. Their primitive quality is enhanced by the native intractability of the material; furthermore, they are mostly very worn, and the edges are often battered either by use or by natural attrition. Many of them are recognizable as artifacts only by the trained eye, assisted by their association with more distinctive specimens, and it may be suspected that even the trained eye is not always impeccable.