An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c14.s8.t4.13

v1.c14.s8.t4.13

Next to the Early Holocene industries there is a widespread distribution of an industry observed mainly as a surface find and rarely in stratified deposits. This industry shows a surprising similarity. The earliest date of this industry is somewhat late. This is what is called the point-based microlithic industry [4.5] in contrast to the blade-based ones of the Chalcolithic [4.14]. Almost all the Mesolithic industries of India and Africa and the Upper Palaeolithic ones of Europe had the potentiality to usher in the point-based and the blade-based microlithic industries. Parallel evolutions do not depend simply on potentialities. For the industry, when first ushered in, would spread at a pace too quick to give another potential industry time enough to give rise to be its successor before its arrival there. It is therefore a mute point whether the point-based microliths of a later date were autochthonous or immigrant. This issue gets complicated with the find of this type of industries with minor variations from Europe to Asia.