Stone Age: Important River Valley Sites

Narmada Valley (Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat)

Home to the Bhimbetka rock shelters, a UNESCO World Heritage site with ancient rock paintings. It is one of the few sites where remains of Homo erectus have been found in India.

Son Valley (Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh)

Known for its Acheulian sites such as Dehri-on-Sone, where numerous handaxes have been discovered, indicating early human technological use.

Sohan Valley (Punjab, India, and Pakistan)

Famous for its Sohanian culture’s pebble tools, this region provides insights into some of the earliest human settlements in South Asia.

Bhima Valley (Maharashtra)

Archaeological sites like Bhima Shankar and Kukdi provide evidence of Middle Paleolithic tool assemblages and early human life.

Kurnool Valley (Andhra Pradesh)

Contains the Kurnool Caves, which have yielded stone tools and fossilized remains, showing continuous human activity through various prehistoric periods.

Belan Valley (Uttar Pradesh)

Notable for Mesolithic sites like Chopani-Mando and the transition to Neolithic with evidence of early agriculture at sites like Koldihwa.

Tungabhadra Valley (Karnataka)

Important for its microlithic tools and evidence of early agricultural settlements, particularly in areas around Hampi.

Periyar Valley (Kerala)

The site of Pattanam is significant for its evidence of Roman trade alongside local prehistoric artifacts, highlighting ancient global connections.

Wangchu Valley (Sikkim, Bhutan)

Provides insights into the early human adaptations in high-altitude environments, crucial for studies on prehistoric migrations and settlements.

Mahi Valley (Gujarat)

Known for a variety of microlithic tools suggesting a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, with sites such as Bagasra indicating early human settlement patterns.

Indus Valley (Punjab, Sindh)

Contains sites like Mehrgarh, one of the earliest farming villages of South Asia, which marks the transition from Neolithic to Chalcolithic periods.

Godavari Valley (Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh)

Jwalapuram is notable for evidence of human occupation around the time of the Toba catastrophe, suggesting survival and adaptation.

Ganges Valley (Uttar Pradesh, Bihar)

Features Mesolithic sites like Sarai Nahar Rai, with evidence of continued human habitation leading up to the development of settled agriculture.

Krishna Valley (Maharashtra, Karnataka)

Important Paleolithic sites have been found here, including tools and remnants of early human life, which are vital for understanding regional prehistoric cultures.

Sabarmati Valley (Gujarat)

Archaeological sites along the Sabarmati River have revealed stone tools and artifacts from the Lower Paleolithic period, showing long-term human activity.

Luni Valley

River Luni Valley is home to Ahar Banas culture which has Lower & Middle Paleolithic sites known as ‘Luni Industry’ (Middle Paleolithic assemblage).