An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c20.s1.t3.27

v1.c20.s1.t3.27

Until recently the NARMADA alluvium and the fossils therein were considered as a standard for the post-Villefranchian deposits in India. During the last decade however palaeontological studies in the NARMADA, the GODAVARI, the Bhima and the PRAVARA valleys have shown that fossils hitherto considered as index for the Middle Pleistocene—*Equus namadicus*, *Bos namadicus*, *Elephas hysudricus*, *Stegodon insignis-ganesa*—in fact range from the Middle to Upper Pleistocene. *Stegodon insignis-ganesa* and *Elephas hysudricus* are also present in the Lower Pleistocene of the Upper Siwaliks of n. India. There are reports of the occurrence of even *Equus namadicus* in the Lower Pleistocene of the Upper Siwaliks. *Bos namadicus* survives late enough and is also reported from some Early Holocene [9.8.4; 15.1.5] deposits. Species like *Elephas maximus*, *Cervus duvauceli* and *Rhinoceros unicornis* range from the Late Pleistocene to the Holocene. Their presence in the late Pleistocene deposits of the Deccan river valleys is confirmed by several ¹⁴C dates. The author is of the view that only *Hexaprotodon namadicus* and *Sus namadicus* may today be considered as index fossils for the Middle Pleistocene. The latter resembles Middle Pleistocene suids reported from China, Burma and Java (Hooijer, 1963).