A new archaeological dating technique utilizing Xenon-129 isotopic fractionation has allowed researchers to refine the chronology of Neolithic ashmounds in the Vindhya Range with unprecedented accuracy. By measuring the noble gas entrapment within vitrified dung ash, scientists have achieved sub-decadal precision, placing the peak activity of these ritual sites between 3420 and 3380 BCE.
This methodology solves long-standing disputes regarding the seasonality and duration of Neolithic pastoralist migrations in Central India. The high-resolution data indicates that the ashmounds were part of a highly synchronized biennial ritual cycle, providing a new temporal framework for understanding the transition from foraging to sedentary agro-pastoralism in the region.