Upper Palaeolithic Culture
- The cultural phase that followed the Middle Palaeolithic is called Upper Palaeolithic.
- This period is marked by innovation in tool technology and increased cognitive capability of humans.
- The modern humans, who first evolved in sub-Saharan Africa, sometime before 300,000 years ago, migrated to and occupied various parts of Asia around 60,000 years ago.
- They probably replaced the earlier populations.
- There is a possibility that these new groups were responsible for the Upper Palaeolithic culture of India.
Lithic Tools and Industries
- The lithic industry of the Upper Palaeolithic period is based on blade and bone tool technologies.
- Microliths (tiny stone tools) were introduced in the Upper Palaeolithic Period and these tools were made using different varieties of silica-rich raw materials.
- Bone tools and faunal remains have been found in Kurnool caves in Andhra Pradesh.
Chronology
- The Upper Palaeolithic culture is represented in India at several sites.
- A time bracket of c. 40,000 years to 10,000 years BP is suggested for this period.
| Ostrich Egg ShellsEvidence of ostrich has been found in some pre-historic sites of India.The egg shell of this bird had been used as beads and those from Patne have been dated to 25,000 BP.They are found in Bhimbetka and Patne. |
Distribution
- The people of this period used caves as well as the open air space for living.
- Meralbhavi in Karnataka, Kurnool caves in Andhra Pradesh, Godavarikhani in Telangana, Baghor I and Baghor III of Son Valley in Madhya Pradesh and Patne in Maharashtra are some of the Upper Palaeolithic sites of India.
- Sri Lanka has evidence of microliths and hominin fossils.
- Incised ostrich eggshell, and shell and stone beads have been found at Jwalapuram in Andhra Pradesh, Patne in Maharashtra and BatadombaLena and Fa Hien Cave in Sri Lanka.
| An Upper Palaeolithic ShrineAn interesting find is of a possible shrine, indicated by a block of sandstone surrounded by a rubble circle, similar to the contemporary shrines.Found at Baghor in Uttar Pradesh, it is the earliest known evidence of a shrine in India. |
Ways of Life and Main Characteristics
- Evidence of art in the Upper Palaeolithic period appears in the form of paintings.
- Beads and ornaments of this period have also been found.
- The lithic blade industry advanced in this period.
- Some of the green colour paintings of Bhimbetka are dated to Upper Palaeolithic period based on style and archaeological evidence.