IISER MOHALI

ABSTRACT: Since the discovery of rock art and microlithic assemblages in the late nineteenth century, the Mirzapur and Sonbhadra region has remained an important area of prehistoric research. While rock art has received considerable attention, interpretations have often remained largely descriptive, and Palaeolithic record has largely focused on typological descriptions and remained overlooked since the 1980s. Over the last decade, recent explorations have identified numerous Palaeolithic sites in Sonbhadra and, more recently, in adjoining Garhwa, Jharkhand. The Lower Son Valley presents an interesting pattern of prehistoric landscape use. South of the Son River, Middle and Upper Palaeolithic assemblages are prominent, whereas the northern region is characterised by microlithic assemblages and a strong association with rock shelters. Spatial and experimental observations suggest that the raw materials available south of the Son were particularly suitable for Middle and Upper Palaeolithic tool production, potentially influencing site distribution patterns. Recent exploration has also led to the identification of previously undocumented prehistoric rock shelters. Based on the stylistic characteristics of the paintings and the fauna represented in the rock art, these shelters may preserve evidence of changing environmental conditions and human engagement with the surrounding landscape from the Mesolithic to the Historic period. Their rock art, particularly the depiction of fauna, offers insight to past environments and overall human interaction with the landscape. The associated lithic assemblages indicate the use of raw materials probably obtained from different exposures of the Son deposits, mostly located approximately 5–6 km from the shelters. The diversity of raw materials may also reflect their selection for different technological or functional requirements. Overall, by integrating lithic analysis, rock-art studies, spatial analysis, and experimental approaches, this research examines prehistoric technology, resource procurement, mobility, and changing patterns of landscape use by hominins in the Lower Son Valley.