[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Reference works](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference) › [An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989) › v1.c12.s1.2 # An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c12.s1.2 An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c12.s1.2 - **Language:** English ### [v1.c12.s1.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c12.s1.2) Due to the paucity of materials susceptible to radiometric dating, Indian prehistoric chronology, despite the ¹⁴C dates now available, continues to be based largely on palaeontological and stratigraphical evidence. Lower Palaeolithic \[4.2\] artefacts both from the sub-Himalayan river terraces of the n.-w. and the basal alluvial deposits of peninsular India cannot be dated earlier than the late Middle or early Upper Pleistocene \[9.8\]. This dating is based partly on their stratigraphic occurrence and partly on a few associated index fossils, e.g. \*Hippopotamus namadicus\* and \*Sus namadicus\* for the Middle and \*Elephas maximus\*, \*Equus caballus\*, etc., for the Upper Pleistocene \[15.1\]. Recently, however, extrapolating from U/Th dates for corals and beachrock from s. Saurashtra it has been possible to date the Lower Palaeolithic artefacts from a fluvial gravel overlain by a fluvio-marine limestone in the Hiran valley to a period prior to 120000 B.P. \[cf. 4.2\]. - [Previous: v1.c12.s1.1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c12.s1.1) - [Next: v1.c12.s1.3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c12.s1.3) - [Up: v1.c12.s1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c12.s1) --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c12.s1.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c12.s1.2) · Pramāṇa