Rohri Hills Sindh – Lower Palaeolithic Sites | UPSC | SSC


Sindh — Limestone Lower Palaeolithic Sites

ParameterDetails
Site NameRohri Hills Palaeolithic Sites
PlaceRohri Hills, around Rohri–Sukkur, Upper Sindh
State / ProvinceSindh Province, Pakistan
LimestoneLimestone hills and terraces, containing abundant chert/flint suitable for prehistoric stone-tool manufacture
Nearest River / River SystemIndus River
Age of OccupationEarly/Middle Pleistocene; exact numerical age Not Established
Stone Age PeriodLower Palaeolithic (Acheulian)
Famous ForExtensive prehistoric chert/flint quarrying, stone-tool workshops and Acheulian artefacts
Discovery and Major FindingsNumerous Lower Palaeolithic localities containing stone tools and evidence of raw-material procurement and tool manufacture.
Stone Tool IndustryAcheulian
Important ArtefactsHandaxes, flakes, cores and other bifacially worked stone implements
Faunal RemainsNot Established
Other Significant DiscoveriesExtensive prehistoric quarrying and workshop areas associated with the exploitation of local chert/flint resources.
Stone Tool Types FoundHandaxes, flakes, cores and other bifacial tools
Hominin Species ResponsibleNot Established
Hominin Fossils Available?No securely associated hominin fossils established
Site TypeOpen-air quarry-cum-workshop sites
Importance of the SiteImportant evidence for Lower Palaeolithic Acheulian technology and prehistoric exploitation of raw materials in Sindh.
Major Archaeological ContributionDemonstrates the systematic procurement and working of chert/flint within the limestone landscape during the Lower Palaeolithic.

The Rohri Hills Palaeolithic Sites, located around Rohri–Sukkur in Upper Sindh, Pakistan, represent important Lower Palaeolithic Acheulian open-air quarry-cum-workshop sites within a limestone landscape. The limestone hills and terraces contain abundant chert/flint, which was systematically exploited as raw material for stone-tool manufacture. Situated within the Indus River system, the sites preserve extensive evidence of prehistoric quarrying, raw-material procurement and tool production, including handaxes, flakes, cores and other bifacially worked implements. They are generally attributed to the Early/Middle Pleistocene, although a precise numerical age has not been securely established. No securely associated hominin fossils or faunal remains have been established. The Rohri Hills are particularly significant for demonstrating the systematic exploitation and working of local chert/flint resources within a limestone landscape during the Lower Palaeolithic, providing important evidence for Acheulian technology and prehistoric resource procurement in Sindh.


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