Investigating Morphological and Technological Variability of Cleavers in the Middle Berach Basin, Northwestern India: A Comparative Analysis

The Middle Berach Basin, located on the eastern margin of the Thar Desert, preserve several Acheulean sites with cleaver-rich assemblages. The criteria for the typological classification of cleavers remain ambiguous and vary across different studies. Furthermore, factors governing variability within and between these tool types remain debated, resulting in several competing hypotheses. This study measures cleaver typological and technological diversity using 104 specimens from 36 Palaeolithic localities. The results reveal a strong preference for end-struck flakes used as blanks (72%) and predominant reliance on quartzitic sandstone (70.19%). Refinement index values (0.407) indicate intensive secondary flaking and structured edge modification, suggesting standardized blank selection and controlled reduction strategies. These patterns point to technological responses shaped by raw-material constraints and landscape dynamics, while also implying hominin behavioral flexibility. Comparitive analysis with Acheulean assemblages from South Asia, Africa, and Europe situate the basin within broader Pleistocene trends in lithic variability and adaptive strategies.