Eastward B(east)s: Proboscidean Evidence in Northern India, with Implications for Archaeology and Proboscidean Palaeontology of South, East, and Southeast Asia

Ningnung Jakoinao

Proboscideans reported from East and Southeast Asia provide glimpses into a rich faunal dispersal across varying ecosystems. Proboscideans reported from the Indian subcontinent complements our understanding of this complex process. With new evidence of supposed butchery associated with Palaeoloxodon turkmenicus from India, comparative assessment of Middle-to-Late Pleistocene hominin-faunal interactions is necessary to understand prehistoric hominin behaviour across varying landscapes. Two sites from the Upper Karewa sediments: first, the Galander proboscidean site — the subcontinent’s first evidence of bone exploitation — and the second, the author’s fieldwork site of Samboora, are being presented here. The former was an important addition to the evidence of hominin occupation in the valley, previously restricted to a few reports, with the Mode 3 lithic assemblage being exceptional due to close context with the P. turkmenicus remains. The latter study area, where various in-situ and ex-situ vertebrate fossils (mostly proboscideans) have been recovered and sediment samples collected, aims to create a holistic record via a multiproxy study. Both sites studied together could corroborate the ‘Out-of-Africa’ hypothesis and provide strong evidence for faunal and hominin entry into the subcontinent, as well as later into East and Southeast Asia. Comparisons with East and Southeast Asian analogues, such as the Madura Strait in Indonesia and Tategahana in Japan, can help understand common traits between the regions. A robust taxonomic and taphonomic description of the collections, along with sediment analysis, 3D geometric morphometrics, and use wear analysis of the Galander tools will help add to the global archaeological record.