Periodic Reporting for period 1 - PAST (Phytolith Analysis and Stone Tools: A socio-ecological analysis of stone tools assemblage of North-Western South Asia)
Période du rapport: 2020-10-16 au 2022-10-15
This project aims to advance our knowledge on the various aspects of plant exploitation and use in the past, starting from the transition to cultivation to gender related aspects of labour division, through the development of a holistic methodology to study lithic tools, one of the most common artifacts from archaeological contexts.
Plants are a major economic resource for most societies, yet plant related activities are often underrepresented in the archaeological record. Understanding long-term management of plant resources is a necessary condition required to identify the emergence of agricultural practices and modification of natural landscapes. This project, PAST, approaches these issues through the study of one of the most abundant archaeological artefacts: lithic tools. The approach is based on designing and applying a holistic methodology for the study of microliths and blade implements, which will be tested on a case-study. The methodology should provide sound interpretations of the socio-ecological significance of the changing dynamics of Chalcolithic communities of north-western South Asia (4th to 2nd millennium BCE) and have the potential to be applied to archaeological contexts within and outside South Asia.
Lithic production has always been seen as a male activity. This encourages androcentrism within the discipline which in turn is reproduced in narratives about human history. PAST explores the gender association of stone tools under investigation (which has never been attempted before in South Asia). It will highlight issues related to gender labour division and the exploitation of technologies.
Lithic assemblages form an important group of material culture of Mesolithic-Chalcolithic periods of the Indian subcontinent, which have been inadequately studied in existing work. Typo-technological analyses are generally conducted for stone tool assemblages but systematic archaeological investigations to understand the functional aspects have rarely been done.
Finally, from a methodological point of view, the recovery of micro-botanical remains from tool edges will enhance our understanding, when compared with current information from macro-remains and other proxies, about plant collection and consumption in the prehistory of Asia. The project will supply new data and a framework that can be used in other areas, thus advancing archaeological research.
Plants are a major economic resource for most societies, yet plant related activities are often underrepresented in the archaeological record. Understanding long-term management of plant resources is a necessary condition required to identify the emergence of agricultural practices and modification of natural landscapes. This project, PAST, approaches these issues through the study of one of the most abundant archaeological artefacts: lithic tools. The approach is based on designing and applying a holistic methodology for the study of microliths and blade implements, which will be tested on a case-study. The methodology should provide sound interpretations of the socio-ecological significance of the changing dynamics of Chalcolithic communities of north-western South Asia (4th to 2nd millennium BCE) and have the potential to be applied to archaeological contexts within and outside South Asia.
Lithic production has always been seen as a male activity. This encourages androcentrism within the discipline which in turn is reproduced in narratives about human history. PAST explores the gender association of stone tools under investigation (which has never been attempted before in South Asia). It will highlight issues related to gender labour division and the exploitation of technologies.
Lithic assemblages form an important group of material culture of Mesolithic-Chalcolithic periods of the Indian subcontinent, which have been inadequately studied in existing work. Typo-technological analyses are generally conducted for stone tool assemblages but systematic archaeological investigations to understand the functional aspects have rarely been done.
Finally, from a methodological point of view, the recovery of micro-botanical remains from tool edges will enhance our understanding, when compared with current information from macro-remains and other proxies, about plant collection and consumption in the prehistory of Asia. The project will supply new data and a framework that can be used in other areas, thus advancing archaeological research.
This project had a strong focus on the training aspect related to phytoliths (plant residues). This included going through literature review of past and current research articles regarding phytolith studies around the world as well as on the selected geographical area of study, South Asia. This general understanding was aided by actual laboratory training at the BioGeoPal laboratory of IMF-CSIC for phytolith extraction processes, in situ identification of phytoliths on the artefacts and identification and quantification of phytoliths at the microscope. Lithic artefacts from two Harappan sites, Bhando Qubo and Taloor Je Bhit has been studied as part of this project. Lithic assemblage from Bhando Qubo includes 46 tools and 21 fragments of lithic debitage. A total of 111 slides with samples to be scanned for phytolith identification were prepared out of these 46 tools, this includes the control samples as well as the edge extractions. While the lithic assemblage from Taloor Je Bhit includes 13 tools and 16 fragments of lithic debitage. A total of 26 slides were prepared out of the 13 tools, which includes the control samples as well as edge extractions. Taking photographs of the phytoliths with the help of a camera attached to the microscope was also part of the training process. Statistical analysis for phytolith quantification and metric analysis of tools from both the sites has also been carried out to understand standardisation in tools as well as to compare the tools from other sites belonging to similar periods.
The results from both the sites indicate that the tools were being used for cutting grasses, since majority of the phytoliths identified from the assemblages belong to the culm portion of grasses. All the tools have been found in broken condition and do not show evidence of being manufactured at the site. This further proves the hypothesis that the tools were being manufactured at the Rohri hill blade workshops and were being imported at various other site throughout the civilisation.
The results from both the sites indicate that the tools were being used for cutting grasses, since majority of the phytoliths identified from the assemblages belong to the culm portion of grasses. All the tools have been found in broken condition and do not show evidence of being manufactured at the site. This further proves the hypothesis that the tools were being manufactured at the Rohri hill blade workshops and were being imported at various other site throughout the civilisation.
This project showcases to worldwide audience the importance of archaeological study of past human behaviour. The domestication of plants led to major changes all over the world, which in turn led to the development of civilization. Stone tools played a pivotal role in this change and contrary to perishable technologies, we have an extensive unbiased record of lithic tools. Understanding the past uses of stone tools related to collecting, cultivating and processing is thus fundamental.
The research on Indus Valley Civilisation (Chalcolithic period in India) has greatly suffered due to the political division of India and Pakistan in 1947. It is impossible for Indian scholars to visit Pakistan for research and vice-versa, thus, most of the research being carried out on both sides of the border remain confined to their respective geographical demarcations, leaving only one half of the story for the archaeologists to unravel. Most of the time indigenous scholars have to rely on foreign scholars to understand what is happening on the other side and try to pin together a complete picture. This project has provided me with a unique opportunity to research artefacts from the othrer sides of the border as an indigenous scholar from India. I have extensively analysed lithics from various sites in Gujarat ranging from Mesolithic to the Chalcolithic periods in my master´s dissertation and Ph.D. thesis. By exploring the use of these tools in Early Harappan Sindh, focusing on understanding plant exploitation through plant residue analysis from the edges of lithic blades, has given me an excellent opportunity to expand my horizons and contribute to the topic of the emergence of trade networks and knowledge production of the area under study.
The research on Indus Valley Civilisation (Chalcolithic period in India) has greatly suffered due to the political division of India and Pakistan in 1947. It is impossible for Indian scholars to visit Pakistan for research and vice-versa, thus, most of the research being carried out on both sides of the border remain confined to their respective geographical demarcations, leaving only one half of the story for the archaeologists to unravel. Most of the time indigenous scholars have to rely on foreign scholars to understand what is happening on the other side and try to pin together a complete picture. This project has provided me with a unique opportunity to research artefacts from the othrer sides of the border as an indigenous scholar from India. I have extensively analysed lithics from various sites in Gujarat ranging from Mesolithic to the Chalcolithic periods in my master´s dissertation and Ph.D. thesis. By exploring the use of these tools in Early Harappan Sindh, focusing on understanding plant exploitation through plant residue analysis from the edges of lithic blades, has given me an excellent opportunity to expand my horizons and contribute to the topic of the emergence of trade networks and knowledge production of the area under study.