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THE PALAEOLITHIC PERIOD
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set by means of which a reasonable date can be assigned to the culture bearing laterite beds. Palaeolithic People and Their Condition
In the palaeolithic age, man was not only unacquainted with any of the metals, but was also ignorant of the act of grinding and polishing, and prepared his weapons and tools simply by chipping hard stones of convenient size and shape with strikers made of other stones, so as to produce sharp cdges and points which fitted them for many useful purposes.
No traces of the use of fire have so far been met with in the deposits containing the old chipped stones, but their makers must have known it. Nor have any traces of their old habitations been found in Orissa. Similarly, no traces have been found of the manner in which they disposed of their dead. No human skulls of the palaeolithic age are known to have been found. It is, therefore, impossible to speculate upon their physique. There have also been no traces of pottery whatsoever along with any of the lithic finds. From the shapeliness and good workmanship, however, of many of their tools and weapons, one can infer that they were a distinctly intelligent people. Their Habits and Practices
As already mentioned, no palaeolithic habitations have come down to us, and likewise, no signs of the mode of burial, cremation or exposure of the corpses, and no objects in any way indicative of religious thoughts have been discovered.
In view of the nature of Indian fauna and of the great size and ferocity of many of the larger animals, it has been concluded, not unreasonably of course, that the palaeolithic man was very badly provided with means wherewith to
1. Foote-Mad. Mus. Cat , p. 12.
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