Late Quaternary Paleoenvironments of the Eastern Margins of the Thar Desert, India

Multi and interdisciplinary work carried out along the eastern margin of the Thar Desert on the Late Quaternary deposits reveal that the region has been a major corridor for human migration ‘Out of Africa’ and occupation in a semi-arid to arid landscape since MIS 5. Stabilized dunes, arid paleosols and calcrete nodules/horizons associated with Lower to Middle, Upper and Mesolithic stone tools reveal the occupancy of early stone age man on the landscape. Detailed geoarchaeological studies supported by U/Th and OSL dating methods reveal that during the last ~200 ka major pluvial periods along Thar desert margin were ~200 ka (MIS 7.3), ~160–150 ka, ~126–115 ka (Climatic Optimum), ~90–80 ka, ~55–50 ka, ~30 to 26 ka, and 7–6 ka, and these periods coincided with the phases of intense high summer monsoons. The major periods of enhanced aeolian sand mobilization and accumulation, as well as high dune-building activities, were evidenced during the transition to/from the peaks of vigorous monsoon, especially at ~190 ka (after the MIS 7.3), ~140 ka, 125–100 ka, 75–65 ka, 24–17 ka, 14–12 ka, 5–3 ka and 2–1 ka.