This talk takes you back to more than a million years ago- to the forgotten world of South Asian prehistory. Often ignored in the face of our ‘glamorous’ monumental art and architecture, this heritage tells us the fascinating story of the earliest inhabitants of India. We discuss the crucial position which India occupies in global debates on population dispersals, stone tool technology, past environments and changing patterns of behaviour. We focus on our excavations and research at Attirampakkam, a unique prehistoric site in Tamil Nadu, where the earliest occupation dates back to around 1.5 million years in age. We reconstruct the diversity of techniques used to make stone artefacts through studies of the assemblage and through programs of experimental knapping. We discuss the implications of these studies in terms of past behaviour and cognition. From below the earth, we take you to space, and highlight how satellite remote sensing aids in research and in developing strategies for conserving this valuable heritage from being rapidly destroyed. We end by discussing the efforts of our Centre in generating an awareness of our prehistoric past amongst children and teachers.