A team of researchers has identified a massive Neolithic tool-making factory spread across three hills in Northern Karnataka. The site contains thousands of discarded stone flakes and finished celts made from local dolerite, indicating a large-scale manufacturing operation active around 3000 BCE.
The discovery of polished stone axes in various stages of completion suggests a specialized labor force. Evidence of temporary shelters and hearths nearby implies that the site was occupied seasonally by groups who traded these tools across the Deccan plateau.