South Asian Microlithic

Abstract

The environment of the Indian subcontinent varied markedly during the South Asian Microlithic tradition, as it does today. The north is mountainous, changing to rolling steppe lands as one moves southward. To the west, steppe lands blend into savannah and arid lands, while in the centre and east of the subcontinent there are deep river valleys and dense forests. In the southern part of the Indian subcontinent there are extensive coastal zones with abundant resources. Rainfall and temperature vary as widely as these environments, from warm tropical forests in the south to hot deserts with minimal rainfall in the central and western part of the subcontinent.