SAS Research Support Awardee - Sutonuka Bhattacharya

Multiple dimensions of grinding stones in South India

Sutonuka Bhattacharya, Institute of Archaeology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

The Indian Neolithic has been a subject of extensive exploration since the 19th century, primarily focusing on material culture, including representative pottery styles, flaked lithics, figurines, bone tools, as well as archaeobotanical and archaeozoological studies (Ghosh, 1990; Korisettar et al., 2003). However, the investigation into grinding stone technologies has been comparatively limited, often confined to typological considerations, and lacking in-depth analyses beyond nomenclatures. This study aims to fill this gap by placing Neolithic grinding stones in a broader context, exploring their significance as indicators of the organization of agro-pastoral communities across diverse ecological zones, varying subsistence strategies, settlement patterns, and temporal shifts.

The exploration of reduction sequences, encompassing raw material sourcing, preliminary manufacture, transport, uses, breakage, discard, and potential reuse or recycling, represents a novel contribution to the understanding of the Indian Neolithic. Macroscopic examination of surfaces and residue analysis of freshly excavated samples further enhances our comprehension of their uses. Importantly, the continuation of grinding stone use in contemporary Indian traditions among different communities—sedentary farmers, pastoral nomads, and urban dwellers—provides an ideal setting for ethnographic work. This work serves to establish a comprehensive reference collection, not only beneficial for studying grinding stones in the Indian context but also applicable to analogous environments worldwide.

Ethnographic studies and experimental reconstructions of manufacturing processes, use, discard, and perceptions of grinding stones contribute to building analogies for understanding archaeological contexts. Examining aspects such as maintenance, reuse, taphonomy, hand movements, and the chaîne opératoire of modern grinding stones facilitates the integration of these processes within the larger socioeconomic fabric of diverse cultures residing in varied biogeographic zones. This investigation offers insights into knowledge transmission, socialization, cooperation, and community engagement across generations.

Simultaneously, the ethnoarchaeological studies undertaken aim to illuminate the social contexts in which these artifacts are utilized, providing insights into domestic and communal tool use and its implications for social and economic practices. These studies offer relevance not only within the Indian context but also as analogies for artifacts and comparisons with Neolithic sites globally. The significance of this study lies in its multifaceted analysis of grinding stones and the construction of models that elucidate evolving human interactions with both 'wild' and 'domesticated' landscapes over time. Furthermore, the research serves as a comparative baseline for future studies on the development of grinding technology throughout India, offering a clearer picture of household activities and ritual behaviours during the Neolithic, thereby contributing to the understanding of social changes during the transition from foraging to farming.