A History of South India from Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar c8.10

c8.10

The Microlithic industries of India may be divided roughly into two classes: (1) pre-pottery industries and (2) those associated with pottery. Gordon has given an elaborate list of the Microlithic sites of India, and the discovery of a large number of sites subsequently in recent years will have to be added to the list. Special studies of the Microlithic industries of Gujarat, particularly Langhnaj, have been made by Zeuner and Sankalia, and the Mysore ones by Seshadri. It is now fairly certain from the evidence from Mysore and elsewhere that some of the Microlithic industries are contemporaneous with metal industries. The problem of similarities of the Indian Microliths with those of South Africa and Palestine is a fascinating but unexplored field as yet. Attempts have been made to differentiate the Microliths as coastal and inland groups; the former are perhaps older, simpler and cruder than those found inland, but their range of types is different and rather larger, though the only type that they may possess which the inland ones definitely do not is the burin. From the functional point of view it may be well to classify these industries into (a) hunting group and (b) peasant group. The evidence from Langhnaj and elsewhere has been held to warrant the possibility that some primitive form of agriculture was practised before pottery came into use. If this is correct, we have evidence here ‘of a Microlith- and bone tool-using people being introduced to agriculture and pottery and the original Mesolithic food-gatherers becoming Neolithic food-producers, albeit probably on a very restricted scale’ (Gordon).