Earliest evidence of humans hunting elephants discovered in India

A fossil discovery near Pampore, Kashmir, offers a glimpse into how early humans interacted with their environment during the Middle Pleistocene. Nestled in a valley flanked by the towering Himalayas, this site provides rare evidence of hominin activity in South Asia. Research findings were published in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews.

The journey to uncover this prehistoric world began in 2000 with the discovery of elephant remains and stone tools. These artifacts, preserved beneath layers of ancient sediments, hinted at a landscape once teeming with life and early human innovation.

Excavations revealed a complex layering of sediments belonging to the Karewa Group, a geological formation shaped by ancient lakes and shifting river channels. These deposits, built over thousands of years, preserved a record of changing environments and the creatures that once roamed them.

Among the finds were the remains of at least three elephants, scattered across the site. The most striking belonged to Palaeoloxodon, an extinct straight-tusked elephant. Unlike the fragmented bones nearby, this specimen included a remarkably intact skull.

Buried in sandy deposits, the skull lay surrounded by tusks and other skeletal remains. Nearby, 87 stone tools—mostly flakes and blades—offered further clues about the early humans who once inhabited the region.

The fossils came from a steep quarry section composed of silts, clays, and loosely packed sandstones. These layers, punctuated by ancient soil formations, suggested a river-fed landscape shaped by braided water channels. Such an environment would have provided ample resources for both elephants and early humans.

A closer look at the stone tools revealed evidence of early prepared-core technology. This method, which required careful shaping before striking flakes, pointed to a sophisticated understanding of tool-making among Pampore’s ancient inhabitants.

Uncovering these fragile remnants was no easy task. The loosely compacted sediments made excavation slow and painstaking. Each layer had to be carefully removed to avoid damaging the delicate fossils hidden within.

Researchers meticulously documented every artifact and bone, ensuring nothing was lost to time. These efforts helped piece together a story of survival, adaptation, and ingenuity in a world that existed 300,000 years ago.

The dating of the Pampore sediments has been a challenging endeavor. Studies using intra-crystalline protein decomposition (IcPD) on elephant enamel have suggested a Middle Pleistocene age for the site. Comparisons with fossils from the Siwalik region further corroborated this timeline, placing the remains at an age exceeding 300,000 years.

The sedimentary sequence provided additional clues. Fission track dating of ash layers below the sediments constrained their age to approximately 2.4 million years at the maximum.

Subsequent analyses, including palaeomagnetic studies, refined the timeline, situating the Pampore Member within the Middle Pleistocene. This period, marked by fluctuating climates and evolving ecosystems, would have posed significant challenges and opportunities for early humans.

The Pampore sediments also contained evidence of past climatic conditions. Intermittent soil formation within the layers suggested periods of stability, likely associated with temperate climates. These stable intervals may have provided favorable conditions for both human and animal activity. The presence of ostracod fossils at other sites within the Pampore Member further hinted at the aquatic environments that once dominated the region.

The Pampore site offers rare evidence of human interaction with large animals in the Indian subcontinent. The discovery of elephant bone flakes indicated that early humans likely scavenged the remains for marrow, a valuable energy source.

These flakes, identified as tools, provide the earliest direct evidence of butchery in India. The act of breaking bones to extract marrow reveals a critical survival strategy employed by early hominins.

Interestingly, the stone tools found at Pampore were crafted from basalt, a material not native to the area. This suggests that early hominins transported raw materials from distant locations before shaping them on-site.

The tools' characteristics align with technologies seen in other Middle Pleistocene sites, supporting the hypothesis of advanced tool-making capabilities among these hominins. Such behaviors reflect a level of planning and resourcefulness indicative of cognitive development.

Dr. Advait Jukar, a vertebrate paleontology curator at the Florida Museum of Natural History, remarked on the significance of the site: “Now we know for sure, at least in the Kashmir Valley, these hominins are eating elephants.” This statement underscores the importance of Pampore in filling gaps in the understanding of human-animal interactions during this period.

The tools found at Pampore included flakes, flake tools, and cores, along with several points and blades. These artifacts suggest a prepared-core technology that may indicate a late Middle Pleistocene age for the site. The fresh condition of the tools and their limited post-depositional movement provided further evidence of the site's integrity as a preserved snapshot of early human activity.

The Pampore elephant fossils belong to Palaeoloxodon turkmenicus, an extinct species known for its intermediate evolutionary traits. These elephants, twice the weight of modern African elephants, had a distinctive cranial morphology. The Pampore skull, the most complete specimen of its kind, provided valuable insights into the evolution and dispersal of this genus.

Unique features of the fossil, such as intact throat bones (hyoids), allowed researchers to classify the species accurately. This find bridges gaps in the evolutionary timeline of Palaeoloxodon, showcasing its transition between African ancestors and Eurasian descendants. The intermediate characteristics observed in the Pampore specimen highlight the evolutionary adaptability of this genus as it migrated across diverse environments.

Pathological analysis of the elephant skull revealed evidence of chronic sinusitis. This condition might have contributed to the animal's death, raising questions about whether early humans hunted the animal or scavenged its remains.

While no direct evidence of hunting, such as embedded spear points, was found, the proximity of tools and bones suggests a clear interaction. The possibility that the elephant became trapped in soft sediments near a river adds another layer of complexity to its story.

The discovery also highlighted environmental changes in the Kashmir Valley during the Pleistocene. The sediments and faunal remains suggested a temperate climate interspersed with periods of stability and disruption. These conditions likely influenced human and animal behaviors. The interplay between environmental shifts and human adaptation provides a broader context for the Pampore findings.

The presence of multiple elephants at the site indicates that the valley may have served as a migration corridor or a favorable habitat for large mammals. This abundance of resources would have attracted early humans, creating opportunities for interaction and exploitation.

The discovery of bone flakes and tools adds to the growing body of evidence supporting the hypothesis that early humans were skilled at exploiting their environment for survival.

The Pampore site enriches our understanding of early human dispersal and behavior in South Asia. It challenges previous assumptions about the absence of large-animal exploitation in the region. “It might just be that people haven’t looked closely enough or are sampling in the wrong place,” Dr. Jukar noted, emphasizing the need for more thorough investigations.

The discovery also underscores the role of the Indian subcontinent as a crossroads for human migration and cultural exchange. While hominin fossils remain scarce, sites like Pampore offer indirect evidence of early human activity.

The association of prepared-core technology with large animal remains marks a significant step in understanding the technological and subsistence strategies of ancient populations.

The evidence from Pampore also has broader implications for the study of human evolution. It provides insights into the cognitive and technological capabilities of early hominins. The ability to transport raw materials, process large animal remains, and adapt to changing environments highlights the ingenuity of these ancient humans.

Ongoing studies aim to refine the dating of the site and expand the understanding of early human behavior in the region. The Pampore discovery, with its blend of biological, geological, and archaeological insights, continues to be a cornerstone in Pleistocene research. It serves as a testament to the intricate connections between ancient humans, their tools, and the environments they inhabited.

The discoveries at Pampore represent a significant step forward in the study of human prehistory. By shedding light on the interaction between early humans and their environment, the site provides a window into a pivotal period in the evolution of our species.

As research continues, Pampore promises to reveal even more about the lives and behaviors of our ancient ancestors.

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