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 be a social science that gives us a meaningful insight into traditions.
Originally published in Man and Environment XXX(1): 79-85 [2005], Indian Society for Prehistoric and Quaternary Studies.