Madras varsity team finds quartz stone tools in Ranipet, a sign of early human occupation

CHENNAI: When they ventured to survey the area in Kathiyavadi village in Arcot block of Ranipet district, the team from the Department of Ancient History and Archaeology at the University of Madras was looking for potential archaeological sites for future excavation.

But what they chanced upon has turned out to be a treasure trove that suggests that the site may have been occupied between about 3,00,000 and 10,000 years ago, and also offer insights into how early humans selected raw materials, migrated, and adapted to environmental changes.

The field survey team led by associate professor and Head (in-charge) J Soundarrajan, along with faculty members, research scholars, and students, began surveying the area to identify sites for future excavation.

Much to their delight, they seem to have discovered evidence of early human occupation in Kathiyavadi village, marked by assemblage of Stone Age tools made entirely from locally available quartz.

The researchers found a wide range of stone tools spanning different prehistoric periods, from the Middle Palaeolithic to the Microlithic period. The Middle Palaeolithic assemblage includes various types of cores, scrapers, burins, and notched tools. The team also recovered large quantities of stone debitage, indicating that tools were manufactured at the site. Finely crafted Microlithic tools were also found, reflecting changes in stone tool technology over time.

Based on comparisons with well-known archaeological sites such as Attirampakkam and other Microlithic sites in South India, researchers estimate that the site was occupied between about 3,00,000 and 10,000 years ago.

The discovery is significant because all the artefacts were made from locally available quartz. Earlier studies in north Tamil Nadu had largely focused on quartzite tools. The Kathiyavadi findings suggest that prehistoric communities in this part of Ranipet may have developed a long-standing tradition of using quartz, adapting the same raw material as tool-making techniques evolved over thousands of years.

Speaking to DT Next, Soundarrajan said the site could provide valuable insights into how early humans selected raw materials, moved across the region, and adapted to changing environmental conditions.

He said the team was now planning to undertake a detailed and systematic excavation at the site, which could yield further evidence on its age, settlement patterns and the evolution of Stone Age technology.

The discovery places Kathiyavadi among the important prehistoric sites in South India and is expected to contribute significantly to understanding the early human history of Tamil Nadu.