Mesolithic Sites of India – Transition between Hunting and Food-Gathering to Food-Producing Stage

1. Adamgarh 

It is located in the Narmadapuram district of Madhya Pradesh and is situated on the banks of the Narmada River. Features numerous rock shelters with prehistoric art and carvings. Contains evidence of Lower and Middle Paleolithic human occupation. Rich in stone tools and artifacts from ancient times. Essential for studying early human life, art and culture in India. 

2. Bagor

Located in sand dune in Bhilwara district in Rajasthan. It has continuity of Mesolithic-chalcolithic-Iron age. Floors of stone slabs are found in the houses. Bones of domesticated animals like sheep and cattle are found here apart from that of wild animals. 

3. Baghor

Located in Sidhi District, Madhya Pradesh, near the Son river valley. Known for the Upper Paleolithic Baghor stone, interpreted as a cult object. Evidence of ritualistic practices and early human habitation. Rich in lithic artifacts, including backed blades and geometric microliths. Crucial for understanding early religious practices and cultural evolution.

4. Bhimbetka

This Paleolithic site is located in the Vindhya range on the bank of river Narmada in Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh. Formerly known as Bhimbaithaka, Bhimbetka is renowned for having a substantial number of rock paintings and Rock shelters in the country. Archaeological remains pertaining to both the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic cultures have been unearthed here. 

5. Birbhanpur

Located in Burdwan district, West Bengal. It lies on bank of Damodar river. Since it has lot of stones around the banks of the river, it was a factory site. Stone tools of Chert, Quartz and Chalcedon are found here. 

6. Chopani Mando

Located in the Belan River valley, Prayagraj district, Uttar Pradesh, India. Marks the transition from food gathering to food production society. Features Mesolithic and Neolithic settlements. Rich in pottery, rice remains, and lithic artifacts. Crucial for understanding early human cultural and technological evolution. 

7. Damdama

Damdama, a Mesolithic site in Pratapgarh district, Uttar Pradesh, is known for human burials, microlithic tools, and evidence of early domestication. Excavations reveal a hunter-gatherer lifestyle with gradual shifts towards sedentism, providing crucial insights into prehistoric subsistence strategies, social structures, and cultural developments in northern India. 

8. Lekhaia

Lekhaia, a Mesolithic site in Mirzapur district, Uttar Pradesh, is known for its microlithic tools and rock shelters with prehistoric art. Excavations indicate a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, providing insights into early human adaptations, subsistence strategies, and cultural developments in northern India during the Mesolithic period. 

9. Langhnaj

Langhnaj, a Mesolithic site in Mehsana district, Gujarat, is known for microlithic tools and human burials. Excavations reveal evidence of hunting-gathering communities and early domestication, providing insights into prehistoric life, subsistence strategies, and cultural developments in western India during the Mesolithic period.

10. Loteshwar 

Loteshwar, a Mesolithic site in Patan district, Gujarat, provides evidence of early domestication with bones of sheep, goats, and cattle. Excavations reveal microlithic tools and suggest that domestication began even before the Neolithic era, highlighting a significant shift in prehistoric human subsistence strategies. 

11. Mahadaha

Located in Pratapgarh district of UP. A burial which has both a man and a woman being buried together is found here. The grave goods included Microliths, shells, burnt pieces of bone animals, rings and ochre pieces. Bones of Hippopotamus, Deer and turtles are found here. 

12. Paisra

Paisra, a Mesolithic site in Munger district, Bihar, is known for its microlithic tools and evidence of early human habitation. Excavations suggest a hunter-gatherer lifestyle with adaptations to the environment, providing valuable insights into prehistoric subsistence strategies and cultural developments in eastern India during the Mesolithic period.

13. Paiyampalli 

Located in Arcot region in Tamil Nadu. Its upper levels contain Mesolithic Black-and-Red ware and the related antiquities. It has an overlap with Neolithic and megalithic era. No metal is reported in the Neolithic layers but lot of Iron utility tools are found in the Megalithic layers 

14. Ratanpura

Ratanpura, situated in the Anand district of Gujarat, is renowned for its bead-making industry, historically significant as a source of semi-precious stones and carnelian beads that were sought after by the Harappans during their later years, with traders traveling to the site to acquire these materials for bead production. 

15. Sarai Nahar Rai

Located in Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh. Geometric shape microliths are found here. Animal bones like bison, stag, fishes, and rhinoceros are found here. Analysis of Burials have revealed that the dental health of the people was very good. 

16. Sanaganakallu

Sanganakallu, a Mesolithic site in Ballari district, Karnataka, is one of India’s oldest archaeological sites. Excavations reveal microlithic tools, rock art, and evidence of early agriculture. The site provides insights into prehistoric human settlements, social structures, and the transition from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to a more settled way of life. 

17. Tilwara

Tilwara, a Mesolithic site in Barmer district, Rajasthan, provides evidence of early human habitation with microlithic tools and animal remains. Excavations suggest adaptation to arid conditions and a gradual transition from hunting-gathering to pastoralism, offering valuable insights into prehistoric life and cultural developments in the Thar Desert region. 

18. Watgal 

Watgal, a Mesolithic site in the Raichur district of Karnataka, features microlithic tools, animal bones, and evidence of early human settlements. Excavations reveal adaptations to diverse environments, offering insights into the lifestyles, hunting strategies, and social organization of prehistoric communities in southern India during the Mesolithic period.

19. Teri Sites

The Teri Sites, located in Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli districts of Tamil Nadu, are important Mesolithic sites featuring microlithic tools and evidence of early human settlements. The sites provide valuable insights into the hunting-gathering lifestyle, adaptations to the environment, and the early stages of human social and cultural development. 

20. Renigunta

Renigunta, a Paleolithic and Mesolithic site in Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh, is known for its microlithic tools and evidence of early human habitation. Excavations suggest a transition from nomadic hunting-gathering to semi-sedentary lifestyles, offering crucial insights into prehistoric social structures and technological advancements in southern India.