About 4,00,000 BP(Before Present), lithic technology changed and the human ancestors diverged.
The Upright Man have existed in this period and tools of this period exhibited behavioral modernity.
The modern human might have arrived around 3,00,000 years ago.
In India, the Middle Palaeolithic phase was first found on the Pravara River at Nevasa by H.D. Sankalia and after the discovery, several sites were later found.
Most recently the Middle Palaeolithic sites were identified in Athirampakkam which belonged to 3.85-1.72 lakh years BP.
The Indian Middle Palaeolithic probably is as old as African Middle Palaeolithic culture and the Indian one ages 3,85,000 and 40,000 BCE , while the African age is associated with the Humans and Neanderthals in Europe and no Hominin fossil bones of these species were found in India Subcontinent.
The Middle Palaeolithic sites are found in Narmada, Godavari,Krishna, Yamuna and other river valleys.
Industies and tools
The tools of this period are knives on flakes,shouldered points, borers, choppers, hand axes etc. Flake industries was predominant. Scrapers were used for wood and skin works.
Ways of Life and Main Characteristics
- The tools became smaller and decresed use of hand axes.
- use of advanced technologies in stone tool production.
- use of chert, jasper, chalcedony and quartz as raw materials.