Detailed Techno-Typological Analysis of Ushakothi (Odisha, India) Microlithic Assemblage and Its Global Significance

Sonkamble Koustubh Sangram

Microlithic technologies constitute a significant component of Late Pleistocene and Holocene lithic traditions across Africa, Europe, and Asia and are widely regarded as emergence of early modern humans, markers of increasing technological planning, efficiency, and adaptive flexibility during the Quaternary. In the Indian subcontinent, microlithic industries are central to discussions of emergence of early modern humans and their behavioural modernity, however this model is highly debated. Eastern India with unique geolocation as crossroad from south Asia to east Asia and Australia, though less intensively studied, provides important evidence for understanding the development regarding the early human migration and their cultural insights. The site of Ushakothi, Odisha preserves a well-contextualized microlithic assemblage that offers insights into these behavioural patterns and technological organization of prehistoric community. This study applies an integrated attribute and metrical analysis within a chaîne opératoire framework to reconstruct production strategies at the site and its techno-typological affinities with other eastern Indian as well global microlithic assemblage to understand behavioural connections.  The results reveal a structured, yet flexible production system characterized by controlled blank proportions and recurrent technological features, indicating planned core management and high retouching intensity. At the same time, measured variability suggests adaptive responses to raw material constraints and reduction stages. These findings contribute to broader debates on behavioural modernity by demonstrating how technological organization at Ushakothi shows both similarity and variability from the selected inter and intra microlithic assemblages revealing the shared technological practices as well as regional production strategy.