An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c21.s15.1

v1.c21.s15.1

*16.15.1 Palaeolithic and Mesolithic.* Our present knowledge of the technology of Stone Age cultures in India is almost exclusively confined to the working of stone. Quartzite and silica minerals like chert, jasper, quartz and chalcedony serve as the principal raw materials, but other rocks such as granite, dolerite, limestone and sandstone are also used in certain parts of the country. The techniques employed for flaking and chipping these rocks into various tool forms show close similarities with those known from Africa, Europe and w. Asia.