Archaeological History

Another example of how modern data science and the re-analysis of data collected by early archaeologists are opening new frontiers of discovery. In this case, finds made in one area of Mohenjo-daro, excavated by K.N. Dikshit, are being tabulated and located precisely in relation to other objects and the strata or level they were found at. >

Dr. Guha goes through the epistemology governing each period's research and framing of the Indus Civilization with respect to those civilizations around, and those closer to home. "The palpable materiality of archaeological 'facts' regarding civilizational origins, legacies, and traditions add to m… >

This paper in honor of Jean-Claude Gardin, in the words of the abstract, refers to a small body of work in order to scrutinize the way in which archaeologists of South Asia make inferences about long-enduring traditions. It suggests that archaeology, given its units and modes of analysis, may not b… >

A short chronological history of archaeological discoveries made at Harappa beginning in 1826 and ending in 1990. >

A brief article by Paolo Biagi and Renato Nisbet which discusses the Palaeolithis sites at Ongar (Sindh, Pakistan), their potential value, the dangers of losing the site and unwillingness of local government to secure it. The article includes nearly a dozen color images including maps, diagrams, and on-location photos of the site. >

An incisive look at the debate around this issue by one of India's foremost archaeological thinkers. Ratnagar looks at the issue in light of Indian Independence and the various political issues and currents that affect archaeological discourse and interpretations. She explains what the word "Aryan"… >

The full story of excavations at Lothal, including the 2008-2009 revisitation project which included satellite imagery and magnetic surveys indicating the presence of interesting structures for a future excavation project. The author, at the University of Bologna in Italy, wrote his thesis on the m… >

A clever paper looking at how far we have drifted from some of the better ancient Indus ways of living. >

"British scholarship of Indian history during the colonial period produced an essentialist construct of an Indian cultural tradition that was deemed unchanged since antiquity and recoverable through archaeological excavations" (p. 31) writes the author, a Professor of History at Shiv Nadar Universi… >