An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c9.s3.5

v1.c9.s3.5

At several sites in Maharashtra (Rajaguru, 1969), Madhya Pradesh and also in the BELAN valley of Uttar Pradesh animal fossils have been found in association with artefacts or in gravels morphologically similar to the tool-bearing gravels. KALEGAON and PAITHAN on the GODAVARI, BOREGAON NANDUR on the Mula, AMBEJOGAI on the Manjra, DEVAKACHAR and BURMAN GHAT on the NARMADA and Hagargundgi on the Bhima are some of the more important of these sites. The species represented are the *Bos namadicus* Falconer, *Bubalus bubalis* L., *Stegodon insignis*, *Elephas namadicus* and *Equus namadicus*. Hagargundgi and a few other sites have also yielded remains of unidentified species of the deer family. Such herbivorous assemblage indicates an open forested country. With the probable exception of KALEGAON, where a few artefacts were found embedded in the skull of *Bos namadicus* Falconer (and hence might have been used for killing the animal), the association of the tools with animal fossils at all these sites is fortuitous and hence lacks cultural significance. But it is quite likely that some of these animals were hunted by the Middle Palaeolithic man.