An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c14.s8.t2.20

v1.c14.s8.t2.20

On the faunal evidence the exposed NARMADA alluvium has been dated to 120000 to 60000 years. It should however be mentioned that these estimates of Quaternary dates are of the deposits exposed in the river valleys or encountered in the trenches dug during dam constructions of the river. The borings in the valleys like those of the NARMADA and TAPTI have reached 150 to 200 m below the present river-bed levels and it is quite likely that at least a part of these unexposed deposits date back to the Middle Pleistocene and possibly even to the Early Pleistocene. A ¹⁴C date for Middle Palaeolithic tools from the c. Narmada near Narsinghpur is 32000 years B.P. Some deposits exposed in certain geomorphic situations as high-level gravels seen on the GODAVARI cannot be dated precisely due to lack of proper dating materials.