Pitted cobbles from mid-Holocene sites of NW sub-Himalayas of India

Abstract

By exploring a region of the north-western sub-Himalayas, 74 fluvially rounded pitted cobbles mixed with other artefacts were collected from 16 sites. Each cobble had one to ten pits and, in most of the cases, the pits were placed irregularly on the surface and sides of the cobbles or overlapping each other. From the dating of the terrace surface, wherefrom the pitted cobbles were obtained in maximum number, and comparing it with the dates of the other sites from different parts of the world wherefrom such cobbles have been found, it can be affirmed that these artefacts (including the Soanian type tools associated with them) were fabricated during mid to late mid-Holocene. The pits appeared to be made intentionally for utilization and were not an outcome of any natural process. An experiment successfully replicated the pits found on these archaeological cobbles, indicating some possible functions. It can be concluded that the pits on these archaeological cobbles found in the part of the Indian sub-Himalayas appeared to be utility-oriented as they were made by percussions.