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Human occupation of northern India spans the Toba super-eruption ~74,000 years ago

Author

Listed:
  • Chris Clarkson

    (University of Queensland
    University of Wollongong
    Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History)

  • Clair Harris

    (University of Queensland)

  • Bo Li

    (University of Wollongong
    University of Wollongong)

  • Christina M. Neudorf

    (Desert Research Institute)

  • Richard G. Roberts

    (University of Wollongong
    University of Wollongong)

  • Christine Lane

    (University of Cambridge)

  • Kasih Norman

    (University of Wollongong)

  • Jagannath Pal

    (University of Allahabad)

  • Sacha Jones

    (University of Cambridge
    Cambridge University Library)

  • Ceri Shipton

    (Australian National University, College of Asia and the Pacific)

  • Jinu Koshy

    (University of Madras)

  • M. C. Gupta

    (University of Allahabad)

  • D. P. Mishra

    (University of Allahabad)

  • A. K. Dubey

    (Banaras Hindu University)

  • Nicole Boivin

    (University of Queensland
    Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
    National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
    University of Calgary)

  • Michael Petraglia

    (University of Queensland
    Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
    National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution)

Abstract

India is located at a critical geographic crossroads for understanding the dispersal of Homo sapiens out of Africa and into Asia and Oceania. Here we report evidence for long-term human occupation, spanning the last ~80 thousand years, at the site of Dhaba in the Middle Son River Valley of Central India. An unchanging stone tool industry is found at Dhaba spanning the Toba eruption of ~74 ka (i.e., the Youngest Toba Tuff, YTT) bracketed between ages of 79.6 ± 3.2 and 65.2 ± 3.1 ka, with the introduction of microlithic technology ~48 ka. The lithic industry from Dhaba strongly resembles stone tool assemblages from the African Middle Stone Age (MSA) and Arabia, and the earliest artefacts from Australia, suggesting that it is likely the product of Homo sapiens as they dispersed eastward out of Africa.

Suggested Citation

  • Chris Clarkson & Clair Harris & Bo Li & Christina M. Neudorf & Richard G. Roberts & Christine Lane & Kasih Norman & Jagannath Pal & Sacha Jones & Ceri Shipton & Jinu Koshy & M. C. Gupta & D. P. Mishra, 2020. "Human occupation of northern India spans the Toba super-eruption ~74,000 years ago," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:11:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-14668-4
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-14668-4
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    Cited by:

    1. S.T. Hussain & F. Riede, 2020. "Paleoenvironmental humanities: Challenges and prospects of writing deep environmental histories," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 11(5), September.

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