The Indian Institute of Technology (IITGN) hosted a four-day international symposium, ‘Rethinking Deep Time: Debating Transitions, Origins, and Identities in South Asian Palaeolithic Archaeology’,organised by the Archaeological Sciences Centre on January 30, 2026. The event was funded by the Wenner-Gren Foundation.
“Despite decades of archaeological research, India’s deep past remains poorly understood due to the lack of reliable dating frameworks,” said senior archaeologist Prof Ravi Korisettar, adjunct professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru, while speaking at the inaugural ceremony. “For a long time, India was absent from global debates on human origins simply because we did not have secure chronological evidence,” he said.
Noting that the situation is now changing, Korisettar said recent advances in dating techniques and interdisciplinary research are pushing human presence in India back to nearly 1.7 million years. “Discoveries linked to the Toba volcanic eruption have also forced us to rethink earlier assumptions about continuity and survival of early humans in South Asia,” he added.
He also underlined that Indian Palaeolithic evidence cannot be forced into European frameworks. “Technological transitions in India follow their own trajectories, and unless we recognise this, we risk misreading our past,” he said, stressing that archaeology today is fundamentally interdisciplinary and no single specialist can reconstruct deep history on their own.
Prof Sheila Mishra, former Head of Department of AIHC & Archaeology, Deccan College, Pune, reflected on the evolution of Indian prehistory research during the international symposium. “When I started in the late 1970s, there were very few opportunities in Indian archaeology, and pursuing this field was a career risk,” she said. “At that time, Indian research was often unfairly compared to European archaeology, without recognizing its unique context and contributions.”
Highlighting the role of the younger generation, she added, “It is encouraging to see so many active young researchers today, bringing fresh energy and perspectives to Indian prehistory.” On the importance of rigorous debate, she remarked, “The more disagreements we have, the more successful the symposium is, because it gives us a chance to examine evidence, challenge assumptions, and arrive at informed conclusions.”
She further highlighted the unique trajectory of Indian archaeology. “Indian evidence cannot simply be fitted into European sequences; our cultural and technological developments have their own path,” Mishra said. “If you think about where India falls in the global sequence, we need to recognize that our archaeological record has its own trajectory,” she added. She stressed the need for data and debate, “Symposia like this allow us to examine evidence, challenge assumptions, and strengthen understanding,” adding that interdisciplinary perspectives are essential to study artifacts within their full context.
Prof V N Prabhakar, coordinator of the Archaeological Sciences Centre at IITGN, highlighted the centre’s growth and vision. “We have built projects and workshops to expose students to technologies like remote sensing, GIS analysis, and petrography,” he said. Emphasizing interdisciplinary research, he added, “The synergy between sciences and archaeology opens a bright future for research in India,” and invited scholars to collaborate with the centre for meaningful national and international research.
Dr Anil Devara highlighted India’s rich prehistoric record and its global significance. “Although historically underrepresented, recent studies at sites like Attirampakkam, Jwalapuram, Mehtakheri, and Dhaba show the complexity of India’s human evolutionary record. This symposium provides a platform to discuss these findings and guide future research,” he said.
The symposium’s first day featured keynote addresses and paper presentations under the theme ‘My Acheulian–Your Middle Palaeolithic’, addressing transitions from Late Acheulian to Early Middle Palaeolithic across India. Panel discussions explored issues of chronology, nomenclature, and technological transitions, with contributions from leading scholars including Prof Sheila Mishra, Prof Shanti Pappu, Founder/Secretary, Sharma Centre for Heritage Education (Adjunct Professor, Krea University), Dr Kumar Akhilesh, Director, Sharma Centre for Heritage Education, Prof Michael Petraglia, Director, Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, and others.
The four-day symposium aims to foster dialogue on transitions, origins, and identities in South Asian Palaeolithic archaeology, bringing together researchers, students, and interdisciplinary experts from India and abroad. Over the next three days, discussions will focus on archaeological methodologies, technological transitions, and identity formation in South Asia, promising deeper insights into the region’s deep past.