Polished stone celts form a key cultural signifier of the Indian Neolithic/Chalcolithic, although continuing in time into later cultural phases. However, in India, celt manufacturing sequences are rarely studied despite their significance for investigating behavioural organisation, mobility and functionality amongst early agro-pastoral populations. Here we present new data from two celt-manufacturing complexes in Southern India, with a focus on the early stages of celt production at ‘quarry’ sites. We highlight diverse reduction sequences on slabs and flakes, with implications in terms of decision making in knapping strategies and spatial differentiation of activities across the landscape. We identify-three different reduction sequences focused on dolerite slabs and flakes, and granite/gneiss clasts. Spatial variability in reduction stages is observed in locations reflecting quarrying and early stages of knapping near dolerite dykes, grinding and polishing localities, and areas of final stocking/use and discard, distributed across the landscape. We also highlight the local reuse of celts by village populations in ritualistic contexts. We compare the reduction sequences noted at sites in the study region with similar sites in Southern India, thereby contributing to a wider perspective on celt-manufacturing technologies in India.

抛光的石 celts 形成了印度新石器时代/铜石时代的关键文化符号，尽管在时间上持续到后来的文化阶段。然而，在印度，celt 制造序列很少被研究，尽管它们对于研究早期农牧种群的行为组织、流动性和功能具有重要意义。在这里，我们展示了来自印度南部两个生产基地的新数据，重点关注“采石场”生产基地的早期阶段。我们强调了平板和薄片上的不同还原序列，这对敲击策略的决策和整个景观活动的空间差异有影响。我们确定了三种不同的还原序列，重点是辉绿岩板片和薄片，以及花岗岩/片麻岩碎屑。还原阶段的空间变异性在反映采石场和在辉绿岩堤坝附近敲击的早期阶段、研磨和抛光地点以及最终储存/使用和丢弃区域的位置观察到，分布在整个景观中。我们还强调了村庄人口在仪式环境中对凯尔特人的当地再利用。我们比较了研究区域的站点与印度南部的类似站点的还原序列，从而有助于更广泛地了解印度的 celt 制造技术。