An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v2.c40.57

v2.c40.57

A more developed Acheulian industry was brought to light from trenches laid near the *ghāt* road leading into the valley. Here tools were found in a thin deposit of calcareous tufa overlying the deposit of brecciated sandstone. The occurrence of calcareous tufa in different parts of the valley indicated the presence of marshy condition which again was perhaps the result of the increased river action that was responsible for the deposit of the pebble bed at Site 128. Evidently the tools occurring in the thin deposit of the calcareous tufa suggesting a drier condition have to be dated later than those of Site 128. In both the industries tools were fashioned exclusively on flakes struck off from river-worn quartzite pebbles and in the technique no preparation of the core was involved. Significantly cleavers constituted the dominant type at Site 128 accounting for 46% of the tools, the percentages of handaxes and choppers being 37·0% , and 12·7% respectively. On the other hand at the other site choppers formed 42·6% , followed by scrapers, 30·9%, handaxes, 17·6% and cleavers, 8·8%. It is worth noting that Levallois technique [16.15] was absent in them though prepared cores were found in the early post-Acheulian industry from Veerla Bodu, the adjacent valley. The Middle Palaeolithic industry encountered at Nagarjunakonda appears to be later than that of VEERLA BODU.