Microliths and Microscopes in the Maple Country
I arrived in Toronto in October 2025 as an International Visiting Graduate Student in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Toronto Mississauga. I was fortunate to work under the supervision of Professor Liye Xie. It was my first visit to Canada, and I had no idea that the next few months would become one of the most memorable experiences of my academic journey.
My first week in Canada began with my participation in the GPRI Workshop 3: Premodern Manuscripts. Although I work with prehistoric stone tools, the workshop introduced me to the world of ancient manuscripts. I had the opportunity to learn how these manuscripts were prepared and bound centuries ago, as well as the modern techniques used today to preserve and restore these historical treasures. The workshop also included visits to several remarkable places, including the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, the Aga Khan Museum, the Ismaili Centre, the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, and, of course, the breathtaking Niagara Falls. Every place had its own story, and together they made the first week unforgettable.
But the highlight of my visit
was yet to come.
A few days later, Professor Liye Xie arranged a stereomicroscope (Nikon SMZ745) in the Anthropology Laboratory at the Mississauga campus. My goal was to learn use-wear (functional) analysis of microliths by studying tiny breakage scars and edge damage that reveal how these stone tools were used thousands of years ago. Microliths are small stone tools, usually less than 4 cm long. They first appeared around 71,000 years ago and continued to be used in many parts of the world until the historical period. Although I have handled thousands of microliths during my PhD research, seeing them under a microscope was an entirely new experience. Professor Xie patiently taught me how to identify different use-wear patterns, document microscopic features, and interpret the results. Every increase in magnification revealed details that were invisible to the naked eye. Tiny fractures, polished surfaces, and delicate serrations suddenly came alive. Every time I looked through the microscope, I discovered something new. It truly felt like entering a hidden world preserved on the edges of these ancient stone tools.
Another unforgettable experience was visiting the South Asian collections at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Toronto. I am grateful to Dr. Jessica Lockheart for introducing me to Dr. Deepali Dewan, the curator of the South Asian Gallery. Although the gallery was under renovation, Navjot Dhanoa and Dan Rahimi warmly welcomed me and showed me the museum’s South Asian stone tool collections. The collection included Palaeolithic handaxes, Neolithic polished axes, and microliths from India, although many of their exact provenances were unknown. During our discussion, Navjot mentioned that some of the handaxes and polished axes had been donated by Alexander Cunningham, but he was unfamiliar with his historical importance. I shared that Alexander Cunningham was the first Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), established in 1861, and is widely regarded as the Father of Indian Archaeology.
The conversation became even more exciting when Navjot mentioned that some of the microliths had been sold to the museum by a family member of A. C. L. Carlleyle, one of Cunningham’s assistants. This immediately caught my attention because Carlleyle discovered the world’s first documented microliths in 1867 in the Kaimur Range of Mirzapur district, Uttar Pradesh. We wondered whether the microliths preserved at the ROM might actually belong to that historic collection. Although this remains a plausible hypothesis rather than an established fact, the possible journey of these microliths from India to England and ultimately to Canada offers a fascinating glimpse into the history of archaeological collections.
As we continued our discussion, we moved to Dan Rahimi’s office. Dan, who currently looks after the stone tool collections at the museum, showed me a collection of obsidian microliths that he had excavated in Saudi Arabia nearly twenty years ago. It was the first time I had ever seen obsidian stone tools in person. Obsidian, a naturally occurring volcanic glass, is one of the finest raw materials for making exceptionally sharp stone tools. Holding those beautifully crafted artifacts was another unforgettable moment.
Looking back, my time in Canada was much more than an academic visit. It was filled with learning, discovery, and wonderful memories. From examining microliths under a microscope to standing beside the mighty Niagara Falls, watching the salmon run in the Credit River, enjoying my first snowfall, and birdwatching along the peaceful Riverwood Trails, collecting maple leaves along campus trails, every experience added something special to my journey. Canada truly became a place where archaeology, nature, and new friendships came together. It was an experience I will always cherish.
Muthurasu Anbalagan is a PhD Candidate at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, whose doctoral research is dedicated to unravelling the mysteries of the origin and evolution of microlithic technology in South India.