Prehistoric Foundations of Bharata in two parts brings together a variety of information related to prehistory of Bharata with contributions of different reputed scholars specialising in their fields. The First part introduces the perceptions of the remote past in Bharata and, later, covers the prehistoric period from the Mesolithic in its various dimensions, such as the physiographic climatic, floral and fanual environment, early inhabitants, aspects of terminalogy and tool technology, history of prehistoric research, and detailed discussions on Lower, Middle and Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic cultures. Contents: Preface V.Nagaraj iii Editor’s Words A.Sundara v Advisory Body viii Contributors xii Introduction A.Sundara and S.V.Padigar xv Part I Section A: Perceptions of the Remote Past in Bharata 1. The Land: Bharata in Jambudvipa A. Sundara 2. Perception of History in Ancient Bharata and Early Traditional History 17 A. Sundara Section B: The Land and the People 3. Physiographic Layout of Bharatavarsha 45 K. S. Valdiya 4. Prehistoric People and Their Diaspora Based on DNA Studies: A Note 81 P. P. Joglekar 5. Prehistoric Occupation History: Hypotheses, Material Evidence and Genetic Analysis 85 Ragotham S. and A. Sundara Section C: Prehistoric Environment and Humans 6. Geomorphological Approach to Prehistoric Environment 105 Sushma G. Deo and S. N. Rajaguru 7. Pleistocene Vegetational History and Environment 145 Satish Naik 8. Pleistocene Animal Environment 177 G. L. Badam 9. Footprints of the Early Inhabitants 195 K. Krishnan and Vrushab Mahesh Section D: Prehistoric Cultures 10. Prehistory: Terminology, Concepts and Interpretation 221 Sheila Mishra 11. Prehistoric Research in South Asia 235 K. Paddayya Appendix: Robert Bruce Foote and His Contributions 259 K. Paddayya 12. Stone Tools and Technologies of Prehistoric People 267 Ragotham S. 13. Lower Palaeolithic Culture 287 K. Paddayya 14. Middle Palaeolithic Culture 351 J. N. Pal 15. Upper Palaeolithic Culture 375 Sheila Mishra 16. Mesolithic Culture 391 J. N. Pal Appendix 1: Mesolithic Culture in Northeastern Andhra 435 P. Vijaya Prakash Appendix 2: Mesolithic Culture of the Kaveri Valley and Further South 453 P. C. Venkatasubbaiah Appendix 3: Boat and Boatbuilding: Palaeolithic to Mesolithic 475 Ramadas Rao 17. Early Lithic Cultures of the Northeast 479 Manjil Hazarika Part II Section E: Prehistoric Rock Art 18. Prehistoric Rock art 511 Northern and Central Bharata 513 Giriraj Kumar Odisha Region 531 Sadasiba Pradhan Karnataka: Malaprabha Basin 545 Mohana R. Andhra, Tamil Nadu and Kerala Regions 556 N. Chandramouli Appendix 1: Everyday Life from Mesolithic Rock Art of Madhya Pradesh 581 Giriraj Kumar Appendix 2: Traditional Methods of Dating Rock Art 587 D. P. Tewari Appendix 3: Scientific Dating of Rock Art: Problems, Prospects and Interpretation 597 Ruman Banerjee, Alistair W.G. Pike, David A. Richards, Katherine Robson Brown, Ajay Pratap Appendix 4: Recent Developments in Scientific Study of Rock Art 617 Giriraj Kumar Appendix 5: Authors of Rock Art in Bharata 639 D. P. Tewari Section F: General Appendixes 1. Science in Archaeological Investigation 645 Vijay Sathe 2. A Directory of Selected Prehistoric Sites in South Asia 695 Shanti Pappu and Akhilesh Kumar 3. Glossary 747 General Bibliography 781 Index 863 Managing Committee