A team of geochronologists has successfully applied a novel dual-isotope dating technique to refine the timeline of Neolithic settlements in Central India. By cross-calibrating Calcium-41 and Chlorine-36 ratios in submerged timber foundations, researchers established a settlement date approximately 400 years older than previously indicated by traditional radiocarbon methods.
The findings, appearing in Archaeometry Today, provide the first high-precision chronology for pile-dwelling architecture in the Upper Narmada Basin. This breakthrough methodology promises to resolve long-standing debates regarding the pace of agricultural expansion and the adoption of aquatic-based sedentary lifestyles in the Indian subcontinent's river valleys.