A new synthesis of evidence for the Upper Pleistocene occupation of 16R Dune and its southern Asian context

The site of 16R Dune, located at the eastern edge of the Thar Desert, provides a key benchmark for Palaeolithic studies in southern Asia. Application of chronometric dating of the excavated sequence at 16R in the 1980's has permitted significant insights into the timing and nature of cultural evolution in the Indian subcontinent. Recent studies of the 16R Dune sedimentary section have presented a revised chronology for the cultural horizons, although the impact of this upon the timing of occupation of the site and technological development in the region has not been discussed. Critically, the largest artefact assemblage from the site, originally dated by traditional radiocarbon dating to 26 ka and labelled 'Upper Palaeolithic', is bracketed by recent luminescence dates of 40-80 ka, and can better be described as Middle Palaeolithic. The sedimentary and chronological context for the cultural assemblages at 16R Dune is reviewed and the resulting synthesis is discussed within its regional context and with respect to contemporary debates regarding the dispersal of modern humans.