This is a posthumous publication of Prof. Virendra Nath Misra.
The Mesolithic Age in South Asia:... more This is a posthumous publication of Prof. Virendra Nath Misra.
The Mesolithic Age in South Asia: Tradition and Transition tries to evaluate the cultural and environmental factors, which necessitated a transition from hunting-gathering to food-producing stage; and the material culture, technology, subsistence, art, religious beliefs, disposal of the dead, biological composition, dietary habits, pathology and social organization of the then inhabitants, drawing data from the excavated finds, ethnography and author’s own understanding of this phase for last five decades. Evidence for the microlithic tradition in India, which now has a duration of over forty millennia, is much richer than for the preceding Palaeolithic period which lasted nearly from 1.0 to 1.5 million years. In the Mesolithic period, microlithic and composite tools took the centre stage resulting in a better economy and sedentary lifestyle and laying the foundation for a settled agricultural life. The book discusses the Origins and Evolution of the Mesolithic Culture with its chronological details.
Oxford: British Archaeological Reports International Series 1665, 2007
The volume is purposely designed in such a way that all the papers are based on the Ph.D. dissert... more The volume is purposely designed in such a way that all the papers are based on the Ph.D. dissertations (5) of the contributors, and divided into two parts; Part I covers the gist of the thesis, and Part II covers the changes and improvements which the author would have made if he/she were to do the same research today. It makes available to scholars all of the research done under guidance of one of the leading archaeologists of the country and also give some idea of the kind of research that has been carried out at Deccan College. The five papers in the volume cover a period from the Palaeolithic to the early historic period in India. There is also one paper on the early historic period of Nepal.
Oxford: British Archaeological Reports International Series 1433, 2005
The volume is purposely designed in such a way that all the papers are based on the Ph.D. dissert... more The volume is purposely designed in such a way that all the papers are based on the Ph.D. dissertations (17) of the contributors, and divided into two parts; Part I covers the gist of the thesis, and Part II covers the changes and improvements which the author would have made if he/she were to do the same research today. It makes available to scholars all of the research done under guidance of one of the leading archaeologists of the country and also give some idea of the kind of research that has been carried out at Deccan College.
The 20 papers in the volume cover a period from the Palaeolithic to the early historic period in India. There is also one paper on the Archaeology of Bangladesh. In addition, there are three papers evaluating Prof. V.N. Misra as an archaeologist and his contributions.
This is an updated Indian edition of my 2004 book on Glass Beads in Ancient India: An Ethnoarchae... more This is an updated Indian edition of my 2004 book on Glass Beads in Ancient India: An Ethnoarchaeological Approach. It lists the all archaeological, historical and medieval findings of glass beads in India and map them to different cultural periods. It demonstrates how such a micro study can help in the better understanding of India history and logically places this study in the broader context of study of humanity's past. The book details of the glass bead production technology, surviving traditional bead producing centers and the major users of the same. The field area taken was very broad with traditional producers studied in Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh as well as traditional users studied living in Orissa and Nagaland (for details see the content and the book).
It concludes "Given that glass beads constitute an important antiquity, with a high survival rate, and a size and usage pattern that ensures wide dispersal, it is important to correlate archaeological evidence with current knowledge of production processes involved in bead production. In doing so we begin to understand how the whole life-cycle of beads, from the first stages of production to the various end-uses, traverses a spatially wide area, with possibility of ‘debitage-like’ deposits accumulating at various stages. However, while the beads, once produced, tend to ‘travel’ to distant places, their production requires a complex web of processes, techniques and skills which are likely to be available at only limited number of locations. Thus the dispersal is of the artifact, not of the whole web of production processes, implying that care has to be exercised before any site with bead debitage can be considered a bead ‘production centre’."
This is a combined updated Indian edition of my previous two books Gurudakshina published in 2005... more This is a combined updated Indian edition of my previous two books Gurudakshina published in 2005 and 2007. The volume is purposely designed in such a way that all the papers are based on the Ph.D. dissertations (22) of the contributors, and divided into two parts; Part I covers the gist of the thesis, and Part II covers the changes and improvements which the author would have made if he/she were to do the same research today. It makes available to scholars all of the research done under guidance of one of the leading archaeologists of the country and also give some idea of the kind of research that has been carried out at Deccan College.
The 22 papers in the volume cover a period from the Palaeolithic to the early historic period in India. There is also one paper each on the early historic period of Bangladesh and Nepal. Region-wise in India, four papers are related to the south; three to north; two to the centre; four to west; one to northwest; and five to the east. Thus, one not limited to a particular region. In terms of cultural periods, six papers are cover prehistory (i.e. Paleolithic and Mesolithic); three to Protohistory; three Prehistory and Protohistory together; one to Rock Art; six the Early Historic; one to Archaeozoology; and one to Ethnoarchaeology. One covers the period from the prehistoric to the early historic. In addition, there are three papers evaluating Prof. V.N. Misra as an archaeologist and his contributions.
This book is the outcome of my Ph.D. thesis. For the first time it lists the all archaeological, ... more This book is the outcome of my Ph.D. thesis. For the first time it lists the all archaeological, historical and medieval findings of glass beads in India and map them to different cultural periods. It demonstrates how such a micro study can help in the better understanding of India history and logically places this study in the broader context of study of humanity's past. The book details of the glass bead production technology, surviving traditional bead producing centers and the major users of the same. The field area taken was very broad with traditional producers studied in Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh as well as traditional users studied living in Orissa and Nagaland (for details see the content and the book).
It concludes "Given that glass beads constitute an important antiquity, with a high survival rate, and a size and usage pattern that ensures wide dispersal, it is important to correlate archaeological evidence with current knowledge of production processes involved in bead production. In doing so we begin to understand how the whole life-cycle of beads, from the first stages of production to the various end-uses, traverses a spatially wide area, with possibility of ‘debitage-like’ deposits accumulating at various stages. However, while the beads, once produced, tend to ‘travel’ to distant places, their production requires a complex web of processes, techniques and skills which are likely to be available at only limited number of locations. Thus the dispersal is of the artifact, not of the whole web of production processes, implying that care has to be exercised before any site with bead debitage can be considered a bead ‘production centre’."
Pune: Indian Society for Prehistoric and Quaternary Studies, 2009
Dr. Swarajya Prakash Gupta, one of the leading South Asian archaeologists passed away on third Oc... more Dr. Swarajya Prakash Gupta, one of the leading South Asian archaeologists passed away on third October, 2007. His academic career spanned a period of over 50 years. He is author of several books including Disposal of the Dead and Physical Types in Ancient India, Archaeology of Soviet Central Asia and the Indian Borderlands, The Roots of Indian Art and The Indus Saraswati Civilization: Origins, Problems and Issues. He was editor of Puratattva, Journal of the Indian Archaeological Society, and Journal of Indian Ocean Archaeology. He founded a Centre for Research and Training in History, Archaeology and Palaeoenvironment and was its Director from its inception to his death. Dr. Gupta was recipient of number of academic honours including V.S. Wakankar National Award of the MP Government, President of the Indian Society for Prehistoric and Quaternary Studies and V.S. Wakankar Award of the Indian Archaeological Society.
The academic interests Dr. S.P. Gupta, were varied. They included prehistory, protohistory, with special reference to the Indus/ Harappan Civilization, which he christened Indus-Saraswati Civilization, Copper Hoards, Early Historic Art, and Museum Studies
This volume is a modest attempt to tracing the growth of Dr. Gupta’s career as an archaeologist and his contribution to different branches of archaeology and history. It also carries reminiscences of Dr. Gupta’s close colleagues and admirers.
The volume on A Bibliography of Indian Archaeology (Prehistoric, Protohistoric and Early Historic... more The volume on A Bibliography of Indian Archaeology (Prehistoric, Protohistoric and Early Historic Periods) consists of 12,045 entries over 428 pages and published in 2011 by the Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi. We have taken approximately 100 edited volumes, 500 annual/bi-annuals, quarterly journals and thousands of books into consideration for this work. It is indexed by author, country, region, people, geographical division, state, union territories, culture, culture area, cultural period, subject, mixed subject, site valley/basin and people. The volume is economical that can reach to the people who generally do not get a chance to see the original reference works. Here they can at least see the reference to the subject of their interest and then try to procure the same either by post or by coming to the cities for short period where living cost is unaffordable for a common men but original books are available.
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Council for Historical Research, 2013
Glass in Ancient India: Excavations at Kopia is a descriptive, analytical and scientific work, ... more Glass in Ancient India: Excavations at Kopia is a descriptive, analytical and scientific work, and covers the archaeology of Kopia from 8th century BC to 4th century AD. The site situated in Sant Kabir Nagar District of Uttar Pradesh was excavated during 2003 - 2009 by Dr. Alok Kumar Kanungo under the auspices of the Centre for Research and Training in History, Archaeology & Palaeoenvironment, New Delhi, to understand the history of glass in India. Kopia is a pre indo-roman contact ancient glass manufacturing site which produced more variant of coloured bubble free glass including transparent ones than any other contemporary glass industry. This report contains reports from some of the most established scholars on geomorphology, radiocarbon dating, structure, pottery, terracotta, coin, faunal and floral assemblages, glass, metal objects, stamp, seal & sealing, bead and bangles, and all other cultural findings of Kopia. The main focus has been to understand the ancient Indian technology in general and glass in particular. It deals with glass production at Kopia and its distribution throughout Southeast and South Asia in early historic period.
This is for the first time in Indian context on an early historic site each rim sherds is incorporated in the pottery analysis and a detailed statistics of pottery starting from sub-shape to shape to wares to layers for each locality are made; micro vertebrates are analysed; 30 AMS radiocarbon dates obtained from four different laboratories; chemical analysis, x-ray diffraction and strontium isotope analyses were carried out on 38 glass related artefacts; LA - ICP - MS analysis was performed on 22 glass related artefacts and four agate beads samples; SEM analyses was carried out on 11 stone beads drill’s impressions; and one lapis was put into strontium isotope analysis. Incorporating all these reports and numerous maps, line drawings, statistics, charts and photographs this report makes an attempt to say the archaeology and history of Kopia in as scientific manner as it could be.
Mapping Indo-Pacific Beads vis-à-vis Papanaidupet is not only about beads, bead production cycle,... more Mapping Indo-Pacific Beads vis-à-vis Papanaidupet is not only about beads, bead production cycle, people involved in their manufacture, and traditional bead users, but also about the most important glass-bead city of the world. The archaeological community has spent considerable time and energy in reconstructing ancient cities with bead workshops and has formulated many hypotheses about them. This is the first and last time that a bead city identical to those of 2,500 years old has been recorded ethnographically and visually in full detail. This attempt has captured a visual model for future glass and glass-bead researchers. The book discusses the history and context of research on Indian glass, drawing its data from ancient literature, archival and archaeological sources. The rationale of the work is to answer the puzzles raised by archaeological evidence with an ethnoarchaeological approach.
German Anthropologists on the Naga Hills recreates Nagas of late 19th and early 20th century thro... more German Anthropologists on the Naga Hills recreates Nagas of late 19th and early 20th century through the eyes of trained German anthropologists. The Nagas were first reported by surveyors and explorers and later by administrators and trained anthropologists. As soon as the Naga Hills were accessed in the 1830s the area became one of the anthropological paradises and the occupants' material culture attracted all leading ethnology museums and the anthropologists from around the world. Right from the beginning, three groups comprising American Missionaries, British Administrators, and German speaking Anthropologists have worked on and in the Naga Hills. However, due to various reasons, neither the collection of artifacts from Naga Hills to Germany has ever been exhibited in Germany nor the rich anthropological literature published in German language ever got its dues share amongst the English speaking academia in general and Nagas in particular. This book attempts to bring the essence of German literature on the Nagas for the public at large.
Glass Crafts in Northern India is not only about beads and bangles, their production cycles, peop... more Glass Crafts in Northern India is not only about beads and bangles, their production cycles, people involved in their manufacture and the craftsmen but also about one of the most important glass-craft clusters of the world. The evolution of technology and skills with regard to the making of the furnace and kiln over the centuries, and invention of new methods for producing variety of beads are the essence of this book. The archaeological community has reconstructed ancient cities with glass-making and/or glass-working workshops and has formulated many hypotheses about them, thereby recording ethnographically and visually a cluster of glass cities identical to which existed millennia ago. When read in combination with the first volume of Alok Kumar Kanungo’s triology on Indian Glass, Mapping Indo-Pacific Beads vis-à-vis Papanaidupet, one gets a clear idea of what to expect in the archaeological field if the site was engaged with production glass beads and bangles. This attempt has captured a visual model for future glass researchers. The book discusses the history and context of research on Indian glass, drawing its data from ancient literature, archives, and ethnohistorical and archaeological sources. Finally, it attempts to document the evolution and practised knowledge system of India’s glass industry and about the role of furnace-wound glass beads.
This book Ancient Glass of South Asia—Archaeology, Ethnography and Global Connections provides a ... more This book Ancient Glass of South Asia—Archaeology, Ethnography and Global Connections provides a comprehensive research on ancient Indian glass. The contributors include experienced archaeologists of South Asian glass, and archaeological chemists with expertise in the chemical analysis of glass, besides, established ethnohistorians and ethnoarchaeologists. It is comprised of five parts, and each part discusses different aspects of glass study: the origin of glass and its evolution, its scientific study and its care, ancient glass in literature and glass ethnography, glass in South Asia and the diffusion of glass in different parts of the world. The topic covered by different chapters ranges from the development of faience to the techniques developed for the manufacture of glass beads, glass bangles or glass mirrors at different times in South Asia, a major glass-producing region and the regional distribution of key artefacts both within India and outside the region, in Africa, Europe or Southeast Asia. Some chapters also include extended examples of the archaeometry of ancient glasses. It makes an important contribution to archaeological, anthropological and analytical aspects of glass in South Asia. As such, it represents an invaluable resource for students through academic and industry researchers working in archaeological sciences, ancient knowledge system, pyrotechnology, historical archaeology, social archaeology and student of anthropology and history with an interest in glass and the archaeology of South Asia.
Stone Beads of South and Southeast Asia: Archaeology, Ethnography and Global Connections is by fa... more Stone Beads of South and Southeast Asia: Archaeology, Ethnography and Global Connections is by far the most comprehensive book on stone beads. With contributions from 25 leading scholars from 17 research institutions of eight countries, the book dwells on related matter from ancient as well as modern India and other regions of South Asia.
Stone beads have gained the reputation of being one of the most important markers of prehistoric technological complexity, especially in South Asia. Their study is crucial for understanding our past contacts, technology and trade, besides comprehending our mastery over material culture and the procurement of diverse raw materials. Keeping this in mind, this book discusses, with the help of literary and epigraphical references, the development of stone beads through the ages, the utility and fruitfulness of typologies, the techniques historically used in their production and finally the modern scientific procedures which can be used in their study to better understand and interpret the past technology. It also deals with ethnohistorical studies of Khambhat (Cambay) to understand the historical development of the city—the most prominent traditional stone bead industry of the world—since the crafts started there, and ethnographical studies to know the symbolism behind the aggressive use of particular products.
The combined output of this book is a result of long-term fieldwork and experimental and scientific studies in laboratories in not only answering the statics of beads like 'when' and 'where' but also cognitivism, that is, 'why' and 'how'.
The Oxford Handbook of Global Indigenous Archaeologies, 2024
This chapter delves into the intricate relationship between cultural artifacts, indigenous herita... more This chapter delves into the intricate relationship between cultural artifacts, indigenous heritage, and museum representation, focusing on Naga ancestral remains at the Pitt Rivers Museum. The framework centers on the "signi er," "signi ed," and "sign" triad, wherein physical objects (signi ers) convey cognitive concepts (signi ed) within a cultural context. Naga ancestral remains, a colonial-era acquisition, are integral to the museum's collection. The authors contend that the static display of these artifacts, particularly skulls and trophy heads for centuries, perpetuated a stereotypical and one-dimensional representation of the Nagas as "headhunters." They argue for a more nuanced approach that considers the broader socio-cultural attributes and meanings of these artifacts within the Naga knowledge system. The authors emphasize the need for contextualized representations that go beyond colonial interpretations, inviting a reimagining of museum displays and narratives. Ethical concerns over possession and display prompt a call for co-curation with Naga involvement, highlighting repatriation and community engagement. They stress contextualized representation beyond colonial lenses, proposing mobile exhibits, scholarly collaboration, and databases for community empowerment. Ultimately, the paper calls for restorative justice and a holistic understanding of the Naga cultural landscape, where the "signi ed" and "sign" of their heritage are reclaimed and rede ned through collaboration, repatriation, and community engagement.
Archaeological objects, even minute beads, are not mere objects simpliciter, rather they have lay... more Archaeological objects, even minute beads, are not mere objects simpliciter, rather they have layers of signification across many planes, be they archaeological, technological, scientific, relating to material culture, and the like. The book, Stone Beads of South and Southeast Asia: Archaeology, Ethnography and Global Connections, is based on the proceedings of an interdisciplinary workshop on History, Science and Technology of Stone Beads at the Archaeological Sciences Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar, with leading experts in South Asian archaeology. Objects or artefacts as archaeological markers partake of many aspects such as the processes that produce, the things they use every day, analysing the economic and social history of the objects as also their relevance to the material culture, and, consequently, the people whose form of life they are part of. In archaeological reports, the Introduction to the book comments, beads, courtesy 'their smallness', tend to be overshadowed by showier and larger objects such as pottery and terracotta. However, it is their very size that allows beads to be portable, and thus their study is of salience for global connections of cultures, in this case of South Asia with the world. The book has four sections. Of these, the first discussing the importance of and literature on beads is perhaps the most comprehensible to non-specialists in so far as it enumerates Sanskrit and Tamil literary and epigraphic references to the bead-making industry and its social and ritual significance. Kishore K. Basa's chapter, 'Small Find, Immense Impact: Importance of Bead Studies', is an overview of the research undertaken on stone beads in South Asian contexts and also in terms of beads as markers of four interrelated phenomena: typology, technology, trade and exchange, and symbolic value, which also define the parameters of the themes discussed in the rest of the articles.
________________________________________________________________ This paper presents the results ... more ________________________________________________________________ This paper presents the results of archaeological fieldwork conducted at the request of elders from Barunga, a remote Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory, Australia. The aim of the project was to use archaeological methods to help people from the community relocate and identify each person buried in the Barunga Graveyard and to develop a system where this information would not be forgotten. In the past, the location of burials and the identities of the buried have been known only through memory, as well as repeat visits to the graveyard. Overcrowding within the graveyard has made this practice difficult. To add to this problem, the vast majority of graves of Aboriginal people in remote Northern Territory communities are not recorded in any register. While there is a legislative requirement for a burial register to be kept in non-Aboriginal communities, this has not been a requirement for those within Aboriginal communities. Instead, families must rely on the memories of those in attendance at the burial, and in time the remembering generation also dies and the identities of people in these graves become more and more blurred. This makes it difficult to mourn properly, or to care for that person by caring for their grave. During our fieldwork, we located 175 graves, and we identified 85 individuals. Of those that could be identified, 29 were identified by an associated plaque or headstone, and 56 were identified through oral histories that were recorded during several field visits with elders from the community. Beyond the archaeological results of this research, we found there is an opportunity to build sustainable development in this community that would see local people employed to locate and identify currently unidentified burials. Drawing on comparative cases from other countries such as India, this study addresses the challenge identified by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) (2015) introducing cultural heritage into the sustainable development agenda. Retrieved February 19, 2020, from http:// www.unesco.org/new/en/culture/themes/culture-and-development/hangzho u-congress/introducing-cultural-heritage-into-the-sustainable-development-a genda/), to identify the concrete actions needed to integrate cultural heritage conservation and promotion into the sustainable development debate. ________________________________________________________________ Résumé: Cet article présente les résultats de recherches archéologiques de terrain ayant été conduites à la demande des Anciens de Barunga, une communauté aborigène reculée du Territoire du Nord en Australie. Le projet avait pour but d'utiliser les méthodes de l'archéologie afin d'aider les J. RALPH ET AL.
Iron has been one of the most critical technotraditions that had lasting impact on social formati... more Iron has been one of the most critical technotraditions that had lasting impact on social formation throughout the Iron Age and historical period. Iron was used in warfare and subsistence economy. Our knowledge on ancient iron smelting and working have generally been derived from ethnography and ethnohistory, which is by all means, time, region, and raw material specific. Scientific analyses of ancient iron have contributed in understanding this heritage to a respectable extent, yet a comprehensive knowledge about the evolution of iron making through time and space in India eludes us. In this work, a comparative study of iron artefacts from two Iron Age/Megalithic-Early Historic sites of Tamil Nadu, south India, that is, Mangadu (burial site) and Ambal (habitation-cum-burial site) is carried out to understand the iron thermal-processing capabilities. The retrieved artefacts were examined using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) for elemental composition. The imaging of the artefacts was done using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD), and Optical Microscopy (OM). In addition, phase identification was performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS). Combination of these analyses illustrates that inhabitants of Mangadu and Ambal were aware of the iron alloy manufacturing/processing techniques such as forging and hammering.
There have been claims of early use of high-carbon steel in South India. Still, the antiquity, el... more There have been claims of early use of high-carbon steel in South India. Still, the antiquity, elemental composition and steelmaking process have not been explored adequately. The high carbon steel was known in the Iron Age or early historical period. However, the large-scale use of such steel was prevalent only in the medieval times. This article examines the presence of steel and its metallographic features in the iron artifacts retrieved from two archaeological sites, namely Ambal and Vallam, Tamil Nadu, India, with occupational evidence from the Iron Age to the medieval period through a number of scientific tests. Metallographic as well as mechanical tests were performed to identify the morphology and measure the strength respectively. Similarly, the chemical composition was determined to quantify the alloying elements in the material. The slag was exposed on the etched surface of the sample cut from axe. Microscopy and chemical composition analysis showed very fine bright dendrites of wüstite in the iron slag. The deterioration of samples was confirmed in microscopic and composition analysis. The result shows that the inhabitants of ancient Ambal and the Vallam were equipped with iron smelting technology and had the knowledge of steelmaking in the Iron Age.
This is a posthumous publication of Prof. Virendra Nath Misra.
The Mesolithic Age in South Asia:... more This is a posthumous publication of Prof. Virendra Nath Misra.
The Mesolithic Age in South Asia: Tradition and Transition tries to evaluate the cultural and environmental factors, which necessitated a transition from hunting-gathering to food-producing stage; and the material culture, technology, subsistence, art, religious beliefs, disposal of the dead, biological composition, dietary habits, pathology and social organization of the then inhabitants, drawing data from the excavated finds, ethnography and author’s own understanding of this phase for last five decades. Evidence for the microlithic tradition in India, which now has a duration of over forty millennia, is much richer than for the preceding Palaeolithic period which lasted nearly from 1.0 to 1.5 million years. In the Mesolithic period, microlithic and composite tools took the centre stage resulting in a better economy and sedentary lifestyle and laying the foundation for a settled agricultural life. The book discusses the Origins and Evolution of the Mesolithic Culture with its chronological details.
Oxford: British Archaeological Reports International Series 1665, 2007
The volume is purposely designed in such a way that all the papers are based on the Ph.D. dissert... more The volume is purposely designed in such a way that all the papers are based on the Ph.D. dissertations (5) of the contributors, and divided into two parts; Part I covers the gist of the thesis, and Part II covers the changes and improvements which the author would have made if he/she were to do the same research today. It makes available to scholars all of the research done under guidance of one of the leading archaeologists of the country and also give some idea of the kind of research that has been carried out at Deccan College. The five papers in the volume cover a period from the Palaeolithic to the early historic period in India. There is also one paper on the early historic period of Nepal.
Oxford: British Archaeological Reports International Series 1433, 2005
The volume is purposely designed in such a way that all the papers are based on the Ph.D. dissert... more The volume is purposely designed in such a way that all the papers are based on the Ph.D. dissertations (17) of the contributors, and divided into two parts; Part I covers the gist of the thesis, and Part II covers the changes and improvements which the author would have made if he/she were to do the same research today. It makes available to scholars all of the research done under guidance of one of the leading archaeologists of the country and also give some idea of the kind of research that has been carried out at Deccan College.
The 20 papers in the volume cover a period from the Palaeolithic to the early historic period in India. There is also one paper on the Archaeology of Bangladesh. In addition, there are three papers evaluating Prof. V.N. Misra as an archaeologist and his contributions.
This is an updated Indian edition of my 2004 book on Glass Beads in Ancient India: An Ethnoarchae... more This is an updated Indian edition of my 2004 book on Glass Beads in Ancient India: An Ethnoarchaeological Approach. It lists the all archaeological, historical and medieval findings of glass beads in India and map them to different cultural periods. It demonstrates how such a micro study can help in the better understanding of India history and logically places this study in the broader context of study of humanity's past. The book details of the glass bead production technology, surviving traditional bead producing centers and the major users of the same. The field area taken was very broad with traditional producers studied in Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh as well as traditional users studied living in Orissa and Nagaland (for details see the content and the book).
It concludes "Given that glass beads constitute an important antiquity, with a high survival rate, and a size and usage pattern that ensures wide dispersal, it is important to correlate archaeological evidence with current knowledge of production processes involved in bead production. In doing so we begin to understand how the whole life-cycle of beads, from the first stages of production to the various end-uses, traverses a spatially wide area, with possibility of ‘debitage-like’ deposits accumulating at various stages. However, while the beads, once produced, tend to ‘travel’ to distant places, their production requires a complex web of processes, techniques and skills which are likely to be available at only limited number of locations. Thus the dispersal is of the artifact, not of the whole web of production processes, implying that care has to be exercised before any site with bead debitage can be considered a bead ‘production centre’."
This is a combined updated Indian edition of my previous two books Gurudakshina published in 2005... more This is a combined updated Indian edition of my previous two books Gurudakshina published in 2005 and 2007. The volume is purposely designed in such a way that all the papers are based on the Ph.D. dissertations (22) of the contributors, and divided into two parts; Part I covers the gist of the thesis, and Part II covers the changes and improvements which the author would have made if he/she were to do the same research today. It makes available to scholars all of the research done under guidance of one of the leading archaeologists of the country and also give some idea of the kind of research that has been carried out at Deccan College.
The 22 papers in the volume cover a period from the Palaeolithic to the early historic period in India. There is also one paper each on the early historic period of Bangladesh and Nepal. Region-wise in India, four papers are related to the south; three to north; two to the centre; four to west; one to northwest; and five to the east. Thus, one not limited to a particular region. In terms of cultural periods, six papers are cover prehistory (i.e. Paleolithic and Mesolithic); three to Protohistory; three Prehistory and Protohistory together; one to Rock Art; six the Early Historic; one to Archaeozoology; and one to Ethnoarchaeology. One covers the period from the prehistoric to the early historic. In addition, there are three papers evaluating Prof. V.N. Misra as an archaeologist and his contributions.
This book is the outcome of my Ph.D. thesis. For the first time it lists the all archaeological, ... more This book is the outcome of my Ph.D. thesis. For the first time it lists the all archaeological, historical and medieval findings of glass beads in India and map them to different cultural periods. It demonstrates how such a micro study can help in the better understanding of India history and logically places this study in the broader context of study of humanity's past. The book details of the glass bead production technology, surviving traditional bead producing centers and the major users of the same. The field area taken was very broad with traditional producers studied in Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh as well as traditional users studied living in Orissa and Nagaland (for details see the content and the book).
It concludes "Given that glass beads constitute an important antiquity, with a high survival rate, and a size and usage pattern that ensures wide dispersal, it is important to correlate archaeological evidence with current knowledge of production processes involved in bead production. In doing so we begin to understand how the whole life-cycle of beads, from the first stages of production to the various end-uses, traverses a spatially wide area, with possibility of ‘debitage-like’ deposits accumulating at various stages. However, while the beads, once produced, tend to ‘travel’ to distant places, their production requires a complex web of processes, techniques and skills which are likely to be available at only limited number of locations. Thus the dispersal is of the artifact, not of the whole web of production processes, implying that care has to be exercised before any site with bead debitage can be considered a bead ‘production centre’."
Pune: Indian Society for Prehistoric and Quaternary Studies, 2009
Dr. Swarajya Prakash Gupta, one of the leading South Asian archaeologists passed away on third Oc... more Dr. Swarajya Prakash Gupta, one of the leading South Asian archaeologists passed away on third October, 2007. His academic career spanned a period of over 50 years. He is author of several books including Disposal of the Dead and Physical Types in Ancient India, Archaeology of Soviet Central Asia and the Indian Borderlands, The Roots of Indian Art and The Indus Saraswati Civilization: Origins, Problems and Issues. He was editor of Puratattva, Journal of the Indian Archaeological Society, and Journal of Indian Ocean Archaeology. He founded a Centre for Research and Training in History, Archaeology and Palaeoenvironment and was its Director from its inception to his death. Dr. Gupta was recipient of number of academic honours including V.S. Wakankar National Award of the MP Government, President of the Indian Society for Prehistoric and Quaternary Studies and V.S. Wakankar Award of the Indian Archaeological Society.
The academic interests Dr. S.P. Gupta, were varied. They included prehistory, protohistory, with special reference to the Indus/ Harappan Civilization, which he christened Indus-Saraswati Civilization, Copper Hoards, Early Historic Art, and Museum Studies
This volume is a modest attempt to tracing the growth of Dr. Gupta’s career as an archaeologist and his contribution to different branches of archaeology and history. It also carries reminiscences of Dr. Gupta’s close colleagues and admirers.
The volume on A Bibliography of Indian Archaeology (Prehistoric, Protohistoric and Early Historic... more The volume on A Bibliography of Indian Archaeology (Prehistoric, Protohistoric and Early Historic Periods) consists of 12,045 entries over 428 pages and published in 2011 by the Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi. We have taken approximately 100 edited volumes, 500 annual/bi-annuals, quarterly journals and thousands of books into consideration for this work. It is indexed by author, country, region, people, geographical division, state, union territories, culture, culture area, cultural period, subject, mixed subject, site valley/basin and people. The volume is economical that can reach to the people who generally do not get a chance to see the original reference works. Here they can at least see the reference to the subject of their interest and then try to procure the same either by post or by coming to the cities for short period where living cost is unaffordable for a common men but original books are available.
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Council for Historical Research, 2013
Glass in Ancient India: Excavations at Kopia is a descriptive, analytical and scientific work, ... more Glass in Ancient India: Excavations at Kopia is a descriptive, analytical and scientific work, and covers the archaeology of Kopia from 8th century BC to 4th century AD. The site situated in Sant Kabir Nagar District of Uttar Pradesh was excavated during 2003 - 2009 by Dr. Alok Kumar Kanungo under the auspices of the Centre for Research and Training in History, Archaeology & Palaeoenvironment, New Delhi, to understand the history of glass in India. Kopia is a pre indo-roman contact ancient glass manufacturing site which produced more variant of coloured bubble free glass including transparent ones than any other contemporary glass industry. This report contains reports from some of the most established scholars on geomorphology, radiocarbon dating, structure, pottery, terracotta, coin, faunal and floral assemblages, glass, metal objects, stamp, seal & sealing, bead and bangles, and all other cultural findings of Kopia. The main focus has been to understand the ancient Indian technology in general and glass in particular. It deals with glass production at Kopia and its distribution throughout Southeast and South Asia in early historic period.
This is for the first time in Indian context on an early historic site each rim sherds is incorporated in the pottery analysis and a detailed statistics of pottery starting from sub-shape to shape to wares to layers for each locality are made; micro vertebrates are analysed; 30 AMS radiocarbon dates obtained from four different laboratories; chemical analysis, x-ray diffraction and strontium isotope analyses were carried out on 38 glass related artefacts; LA - ICP - MS analysis was performed on 22 glass related artefacts and four agate beads samples; SEM analyses was carried out on 11 stone beads drill’s impressions; and one lapis was put into strontium isotope analysis. Incorporating all these reports and numerous maps, line drawings, statistics, charts and photographs this report makes an attempt to say the archaeology and history of Kopia in as scientific manner as it could be.
Mapping Indo-Pacific Beads vis-à-vis Papanaidupet is not only about beads, bead production cycle,... more Mapping Indo-Pacific Beads vis-à-vis Papanaidupet is not only about beads, bead production cycle, people involved in their manufacture, and traditional bead users, but also about the most important glass-bead city of the world. The archaeological community has spent considerable time and energy in reconstructing ancient cities with bead workshops and has formulated many hypotheses about them. This is the first and last time that a bead city identical to those of 2,500 years old has been recorded ethnographically and visually in full detail. This attempt has captured a visual model for future glass and glass-bead researchers. The book discusses the history and context of research on Indian glass, drawing its data from ancient literature, archival and archaeological sources. The rationale of the work is to answer the puzzles raised by archaeological evidence with an ethnoarchaeological approach.
German Anthropologists on the Naga Hills recreates Nagas of late 19th and early 20th century thro... more German Anthropologists on the Naga Hills recreates Nagas of late 19th and early 20th century through the eyes of trained German anthropologists. The Nagas were first reported by surveyors and explorers and later by administrators and trained anthropologists. As soon as the Naga Hills were accessed in the 1830s the area became one of the anthropological paradises and the occupants' material culture attracted all leading ethnology museums and the anthropologists from around the world. Right from the beginning, three groups comprising American Missionaries, British Administrators, and German speaking Anthropologists have worked on and in the Naga Hills. However, due to various reasons, neither the collection of artifacts from Naga Hills to Germany has ever been exhibited in Germany nor the rich anthropological literature published in German language ever got its dues share amongst the English speaking academia in general and Nagas in particular. This book attempts to bring the essence of German literature on the Nagas for the public at large.
Glass Crafts in Northern India is not only about beads and bangles, their production cycles, peop... more Glass Crafts in Northern India is not only about beads and bangles, their production cycles, people involved in their manufacture and the craftsmen but also about one of the most important glass-craft clusters of the world. The evolution of technology and skills with regard to the making of the furnace and kiln over the centuries, and invention of new methods for producing variety of beads are the essence of this book. The archaeological community has reconstructed ancient cities with glass-making and/or glass-working workshops and has formulated many hypotheses about them, thereby recording ethnographically and visually a cluster of glass cities identical to which existed millennia ago. When read in combination with the first volume of Alok Kumar Kanungo’s triology on Indian Glass, Mapping Indo-Pacific Beads vis-à-vis Papanaidupet, one gets a clear idea of what to expect in the archaeological field if the site was engaged with production glass beads and bangles. This attempt has captured a visual model for future glass researchers. The book discusses the history and context of research on Indian glass, drawing its data from ancient literature, archives, and ethnohistorical and archaeological sources. Finally, it attempts to document the evolution and practised knowledge system of India’s glass industry and about the role of furnace-wound glass beads.
This book Ancient Glass of South Asia—Archaeology, Ethnography and Global Connections provides a ... more This book Ancient Glass of South Asia—Archaeology, Ethnography and Global Connections provides a comprehensive research on ancient Indian glass. The contributors include experienced archaeologists of South Asian glass, and archaeological chemists with expertise in the chemical analysis of glass, besides, established ethnohistorians and ethnoarchaeologists. It is comprised of five parts, and each part discusses different aspects of glass study: the origin of glass and its evolution, its scientific study and its care, ancient glass in literature and glass ethnography, glass in South Asia and the diffusion of glass in different parts of the world. The topic covered by different chapters ranges from the development of faience to the techniques developed for the manufacture of glass beads, glass bangles or glass mirrors at different times in South Asia, a major glass-producing region and the regional distribution of key artefacts both within India and outside the region, in Africa, Europe or Southeast Asia. Some chapters also include extended examples of the archaeometry of ancient glasses. It makes an important contribution to archaeological, anthropological and analytical aspects of glass in South Asia. As such, it represents an invaluable resource for students through academic and industry researchers working in archaeological sciences, ancient knowledge system, pyrotechnology, historical archaeology, social archaeology and student of anthropology and history with an interest in glass and the archaeology of South Asia.
Stone Beads of South and Southeast Asia: Archaeology, Ethnography and Global Connections is by fa... more Stone Beads of South and Southeast Asia: Archaeology, Ethnography and Global Connections is by far the most comprehensive book on stone beads. With contributions from 25 leading scholars from 17 research institutions of eight countries, the book dwells on related matter from ancient as well as modern India and other regions of South Asia.
Stone beads have gained the reputation of being one of the most important markers of prehistoric technological complexity, especially in South Asia. Their study is crucial for understanding our past contacts, technology and trade, besides comprehending our mastery over material culture and the procurement of diverse raw materials. Keeping this in mind, this book discusses, with the help of literary and epigraphical references, the development of stone beads through the ages, the utility and fruitfulness of typologies, the techniques historically used in their production and finally the modern scientific procedures which can be used in their study to better understand and interpret the past technology. It also deals with ethnohistorical studies of Khambhat (Cambay) to understand the historical development of the city—the most prominent traditional stone bead industry of the world—since the crafts started there, and ethnographical studies to know the symbolism behind the aggressive use of particular products.
The combined output of this book is a result of long-term fieldwork and experimental and scientific studies in laboratories in not only answering the statics of beads like 'when' and 'where' but also cognitivism, that is, 'why' and 'how'.
The Oxford Handbook of Global Indigenous Archaeologies, 2024
This chapter delves into the intricate relationship between cultural artifacts, indigenous herita... more This chapter delves into the intricate relationship between cultural artifacts, indigenous heritage, and museum representation, focusing on Naga ancestral remains at the Pitt Rivers Museum. The framework centers on the "signi er," "signi ed," and "sign" triad, wherein physical objects (signi ers) convey cognitive concepts (signi ed) within a cultural context. Naga ancestral remains, a colonial-era acquisition, are integral to the museum's collection. The authors contend that the static display of these artifacts, particularly skulls and trophy heads for centuries, perpetuated a stereotypical and one-dimensional representation of the Nagas as "headhunters." They argue for a more nuanced approach that considers the broader socio-cultural attributes and meanings of these artifacts within the Naga knowledge system. The authors emphasize the need for contextualized representations that go beyond colonial interpretations, inviting a reimagining of museum displays and narratives. Ethical concerns over possession and display prompt a call for co-curation with Naga involvement, highlighting repatriation and community engagement. They stress contextualized representation beyond colonial lenses, proposing mobile exhibits, scholarly collaboration, and databases for community empowerment. Ultimately, the paper calls for restorative justice and a holistic understanding of the Naga cultural landscape, where the "signi ed" and "sign" of their heritage are reclaimed and rede ned through collaboration, repatriation, and community engagement.
Archaeological objects, even minute beads, are not mere objects simpliciter, rather they have lay... more Archaeological objects, even minute beads, are not mere objects simpliciter, rather they have layers of signification across many planes, be they archaeological, technological, scientific, relating to material culture, and the like. The book, Stone Beads of South and Southeast Asia: Archaeology, Ethnography and Global Connections, is based on the proceedings of an interdisciplinary workshop on History, Science and Technology of Stone Beads at the Archaeological Sciences Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar, with leading experts in South Asian archaeology. Objects or artefacts as archaeological markers partake of many aspects such as the processes that produce, the things they use every day, analysing the economic and social history of the objects as also their relevance to the material culture, and, consequently, the people whose form of life they are part of. In archaeological reports, the Introduction to the book comments, beads, courtesy 'their smallness', tend to be overshadowed by showier and larger objects such as pottery and terracotta. However, it is their very size that allows beads to be portable, and thus their study is of salience for global connections of cultures, in this case of South Asia with the world. The book has four sections. Of these, the first discussing the importance of and literature on beads is perhaps the most comprehensible to non-specialists in so far as it enumerates Sanskrit and Tamil literary and epigraphic references to the bead-making industry and its social and ritual significance. Kishore K. Basa's chapter, 'Small Find, Immense Impact: Importance of Bead Studies', is an overview of the research undertaken on stone beads in South Asian contexts and also in terms of beads as markers of four interrelated phenomena: typology, technology, trade and exchange, and symbolic value, which also define the parameters of the themes discussed in the rest of the articles.
________________________________________________________________ This paper presents the results ... more ________________________________________________________________ This paper presents the results of archaeological fieldwork conducted at the request of elders from Barunga, a remote Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory, Australia. The aim of the project was to use archaeological methods to help people from the community relocate and identify each person buried in the Barunga Graveyard and to develop a system where this information would not be forgotten. In the past, the location of burials and the identities of the buried have been known only through memory, as well as repeat visits to the graveyard. Overcrowding within the graveyard has made this practice difficult. To add to this problem, the vast majority of graves of Aboriginal people in remote Northern Territory communities are not recorded in any register. While there is a legislative requirement for a burial register to be kept in non-Aboriginal communities, this has not been a requirement for those within Aboriginal communities. Instead, families must rely on the memories of those in attendance at the burial, and in time the remembering generation also dies and the identities of people in these graves become more and more blurred. This makes it difficult to mourn properly, or to care for that person by caring for their grave. During our fieldwork, we located 175 graves, and we identified 85 individuals. Of those that could be identified, 29 were identified by an associated plaque or headstone, and 56 were identified through oral histories that were recorded during several field visits with elders from the community. Beyond the archaeological results of this research, we found there is an opportunity to build sustainable development in this community that would see local people employed to locate and identify currently unidentified burials. Drawing on comparative cases from other countries such as India, this study addresses the challenge identified by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) (2015) introducing cultural heritage into the sustainable development agenda. Retrieved February 19, 2020, from http:// www.unesco.org/new/en/culture/themes/culture-and-development/hangzho u-congress/introducing-cultural-heritage-into-the-sustainable-development-a genda/), to identify the concrete actions needed to integrate cultural heritage conservation and promotion into the sustainable development debate. ________________________________________________________________ Résumé: Cet article présente les résultats de recherches archéologiques de terrain ayant été conduites à la demande des Anciens de Barunga, une communauté aborigène reculée du Territoire du Nord en Australie. Le projet avait pour but d'utiliser les méthodes de l'archéologie afin d'aider les J. RALPH ET AL.
Iron has been one of the most critical technotraditions that had lasting impact on social formati... more Iron has been one of the most critical technotraditions that had lasting impact on social formation throughout the Iron Age and historical period. Iron was used in warfare and subsistence economy. Our knowledge on ancient iron smelting and working have generally been derived from ethnography and ethnohistory, which is by all means, time, region, and raw material specific. Scientific analyses of ancient iron have contributed in understanding this heritage to a respectable extent, yet a comprehensive knowledge about the evolution of iron making through time and space in India eludes us. In this work, a comparative study of iron artefacts from two Iron Age/Megalithic-Early Historic sites of Tamil Nadu, south India, that is, Mangadu (burial site) and Ambal (habitation-cum-burial site) is carried out to understand the iron thermal-processing capabilities. The retrieved artefacts were examined using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) for elemental composition. The imaging of the artefacts was done using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD), and Optical Microscopy (OM). In addition, phase identification was performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS). Combination of these analyses illustrates that inhabitants of Mangadu and Ambal were aware of the iron alloy manufacturing/processing techniques such as forging and hammering.
There have been claims of early use of high-carbon steel in South India. Still, the antiquity, el... more There have been claims of early use of high-carbon steel in South India. Still, the antiquity, elemental composition and steelmaking process have not been explored adequately. The high carbon steel was known in the Iron Age or early historical period. However, the large-scale use of such steel was prevalent only in the medieval times. This article examines the presence of steel and its metallographic features in the iron artifacts retrieved from two archaeological sites, namely Ambal and Vallam, Tamil Nadu, India, with occupational evidence from the Iron Age to the medieval period through a number of scientific tests. Metallographic as well as mechanical tests were performed to identify the morphology and measure the strength respectively. Similarly, the chemical composition was determined to quantify the alloying elements in the material. The slag was exposed on the etched surface of the sample cut from axe. Microscopy and chemical composition analysis showed very fine bright dendrites of wüstite in the iron slag. The deterioration of samples was confirmed in microscopic and composition analysis. The result shows that the inhabitants of ancient Ambal and the Vallam were equipped with iron smelting technology and had the knowledge of steelmaking in the Iron Age.
As NBPW was discovered for the first time from the northern part of India; and due to its black c... more As NBPW was discovered for the first time from the northern part of India; and due to its black color and polished/glazed appearance it was named as Northern Black Polished Ware. Although the surface color of 90% of NBPW borders around jet black and brownish black, the remaining 10% range between gold, gold-blue, silver, pink, brown black, steel blue, bronze, orange, purple, deep red, violet, etc. Excavations at Kausambi and Rajghat in Uttar Pradesh, Rajgir, Sonepur, Chirand, and Oriup in Bihar, Chandraketugarh, and Mangalkot in Bengal and several other sites yielded such varied NBPW sherds. Similarly the finds of NBPW is neither limited to north India nor the polish and glaze has been consistent throughout. Agrawal (2009) rightly said, NBPW is an enigmatic ceramic and its very name is a bit anachronistic because it is neither northern, nor polished, nor even black! In spite of this fact the frequency of black shade and color is significantly higher than other shades and color, regarding, the term "polished" used in its nomenclature it may be said that irrespective of shades and color its quality is more or less constant wherever it is found.
Dr. S.P. Gupta: An Academic and Human Profile (V.N. Misra and A.K. Kanungo Eds.), 2009
Dr. S.P. Gupta (Guptaji) began his academic career more than half a century ago. He was one of th... more Dr. S.P. Gupta (Guptaji) began his academic career more than half a century ago. He was one of the early trained Indian archaeologists. Though initially trained in field archaeology, he devoted most of his career to the study of Protohistory, Megaliths, Early History and Museum. Besides his individual writings, he has encouraged a number of his colleagues to write several hundred pages in English and Hindi. These include books, edited volumes, research articles, short notes, popular articles, book reviews, reminiscences, and obituaries. However, this annotated bibliography is limited to only the research articles in English. A list of all other publications has been given in Section II.
50 Years after Daojali-Hading: Emerging Perspectives in the Archaeology of Northeast India Essays in Honour of Tarun Chandra Sharma (T. Jamir and M. Hazarika Eds.), 2014
Naga objects in the museum across the West and way forward for repatriation.
This outlies the costume in general and glass beads in particular worn by the Bondos of Malkanagi... more This outlies the costume in general and glass beads in particular worn by the Bondos of Malkanagiri district, Odisha.
The production of glass was one of the most advanced techniques of the ancient world. Most of the... more The production of glass was one of the most advanced techniques of the ancient world. Most of the early evidence for glass has been found in the form of beads. In India, glass beads are reported from more than 40 archaeological sites belonging almost solely to the early hon Age period, with the exception of four beads from Chalcolithic Maski. There has been a lot of discussion on the numero uno position of Ancient Indian Beads (both stone and glass) in the Bead World at large. Interestingly, India enjoys the same position today. Owing to the breakdown of the monopoly of maritime trade, the location of bead manufacture, export and the via media of trade have changed.
The manufacture of glass requires advancement in technology and knowledge of controlling appropri... more The manufacture of glass requires advancement in technology and knowledge of controlling appropriate temperatures. Glass can be transparent, translucent, or opaque. It can be coloured to any desired shade with minimal ingredients molten glass can also be given any shape. This flexibility has made glass an integral part of day-to-day requirements for human beings for more than 3000 years.
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Books by Alok Kanungo
The Mesolithic Age in South Asia: Tradition and Transition tries to evaluate the cultural and environmental factors, which necessitated a transition from hunting-gathering to food-producing stage; and the material culture, technology, subsistence, art, religious beliefs, disposal of the dead, biological composition, dietary habits, pathology and social organization of the then inhabitants, drawing data from the excavated finds, ethnography and author’s own understanding of this phase for last five decades.
Evidence for the microlithic tradition in India, which now has a duration of over forty millennia, is much richer than for the preceding Palaeolithic period which lasted nearly from 1.0 to 1.5 million years. In the Mesolithic period, microlithic and composite tools took the centre stage resulting in a better economy and sedentary lifestyle and laying the foundation for a settled agricultural life. The book discusses the Origins and Evolution of the Mesolithic Culture with its chronological details.
The five papers in the volume cover a period from the Palaeolithic to the early historic period in India. There is also one paper on the early historic period of Nepal.
The 20 papers in the volume cover a period from the Palaeolithic to the early historic period in India. There is also one paper on the Archaeology of Bangladesh. In addition, there are three papers evaluating Prof. V.N. Misra as an archaeologist and his contributions.
It concludes "Given that glass beads constitute an important antiquity, with a high survival rate, and a size and usage pattern that ensures wide dispersal, it is important to correlate archaeological evidence with current knowledge of production processes involved in bead production. In doing so we begin to understand how the whole life-cycle of beads, from the first stages of production to the various end-uses, traverses a spatially wide area, with possibility of ‘debitage-like’ deposits accumulating at various stages. However, while the beads, once produced, tend to ‘travel’ to distant places, their production requires a complex web of processes, techniques and skills which are likely to be available at only limited number of locations. Thus the dispersal is of the artifact, not of the whole web of production processes, implying that care has to be exercised before any site with bead debitage can be considered a bead ‘production centre’."
The 22 papers in the volume cover a period from the Palaeolithic to the early historic period in India. There is also one paper each on the early historic period of Bangladesh and Nepal. Region-wise in India, four papers are related to the south; three to north; two to the centre; four to west; one to northwest; and five to the east. Thus, one not limited to a particular region. In terms of cultural periods, six papers are cover prehistory (i.e. Paleolithic and Mesolithic); three to Protohistory; three Prehistory and Protohistory together; one to Rock Art; six the Early Historic; one to Archaeozoology; and one to Ethnoarchaeology. One covers the period from the prehistoric to the early historic. In addition, there are three papers evaluating Prof. V.N. Misra as an archaeologist and his contributions.
It concludes "Given that glass beads constitute an important antiquity, with a high survival rate, and a size and usage pattern that ensures wide dispersal, it is important to correlate archaeological evidence with current knowledge of production processes involved in bead production. In doing so we begin to understand how the whole life-cycle of beads, from the first stages of production to the various end-uses, traverses a spatially wide area, with possibility of ‘debitage-like’ deposits accumulating at various stages. However, while the beads, once produced, tend to ‘travel’ to distant places, their production requires a complex web of processes, techniques and skills which are likely to be available at only limited number of locations. Thus the dispersal is of the artifact, not of the whole web of production processes, implying that care has to be exercised before any site with bead debitage can be considered a bead ‘production centre’."
The academic interests Dr. S.P. Gupta, were varied. They included prehistory, protohistory, with special reference to the Indus/ Harappan Civilization, which he christened Indus-Saraswati Civilization, Copper Hoards, Early Historic Art, and Museum Studies
This volume is a modest attempt to tracing the growth of Dr. Gupta’s career as an archaeologist and his contribution to different branches of archaeology and history. It also carries reminiscences of Dr. Gupta’s close colleagues and admirers.
This is for the first time in Indian context on an early historic site each rim sherds is incorporated in the pottery analysis and a detailed statistics of pottery starting from sub-shape to shape to wares to layers for each locality are made; micro vertebrates are analysed; 30 AMS radiocarbon dates obtained from four different laboratories; chemical analysis, x-ray diffraction and strontium isotope analyses were carried out on 38 glass related artefacts; LA - ICP - MS analysis was performed on 22 glass related artefacts and four agate beads samples; SEM analyses was carried out on 11 stone beads drill’s impressions; and one lapis was put into strontium isotope analysis. Incorporating all these reports and numerous maps, line drawings, statistics, charts and photographs this report makes an attempt to say the archaeology and history of Kopia in as scientific manner as it could be.
The Nagas were first reported by surveyors and explorers and later by administrators and trained anthropologists. As soon as the Naga Hills were accessed in the 1830s the area became one of the anthropological paradises and the occupants' material culture attracted all leading ethnology museums and the anthropologists from around the world. Right from the beginning, three groups comprising American Missionaries, British Administrators, and German speaking Anthropologists have worked on and in the Naga Hills. However, due to various reasons, neither the collection of artifacts from Naga Hills to Germany has ever been exhibited in Germany nor the rich anthropological literature published in German language ever got its dues share amongst the English speaking academia in general and Nagas in particular. This book attempts to bring the essence of German literature on the Nagas for the public at large.
by different chapters ranges from the development of faience to the techniques developed for the manufacture of glass beads, glass bangles or glass mirrors at different times in South Asia, a major glass-producing region and the regional distribution of key artefacts both within India and outside the region, in Africa, Europe or Southeast Asia. Some chapters also include extended examples of the archaeometry of ancient glasses. It makes an important contribution to archaeological, anthropological and
analytical aspects of glass in South Asia. As such, it represents an invaluable resource for students through academic and industry researchers working in archaeological sciences, ancient knowledge system, pyrotechnology, historical archaeology, social archaeology and student of anthropology and history with an interest in glass and the archaeology of South Asia.
Stone beads have gained the reputation of being one of the most important markers of prehistoric technological complexity, especially in South Asia. Their study is crucial for understanding our past contacts, technology and trade, besides comprehending our mastery over material culture and the procurement of diverse raw materials. Keeping this in mind, this book discusses, with the help of literary and epigraphical references, the development of stone beads through the ages, the utility and fruitfulness of typologies, the techniques historically used in their production and finally the modern scientific procedures which can be used in their study to better understand and interpret the past technology. It also deals with ethnohistorical studies of Khambhat (Cambay) to understand the historical development of the city—the most prominent traditional stone bead industry of the world—since the crafts started there, and ethnographical studies to know the symbolism behind the aggressive use of particular products.
The combined output of this book is a result of long-term fieldwork and experimental and scientific studies in laboratories in not only answering the statics of beads like 'when' and 'where' but also cognitivism, that is, 'why' and 'how'.
Papers by Alok Kanungo
understanding this heritage to a respectable extent, yet a comprehensive knowledge about the evolution of iron making through time and space in India eludes us. In this work, a comparative study of iron artefacts from
two Iron Age/Megalithic-Early Historic sites of Tamil Nadu, south India, that is, Mangadu (burial site) and Ambal (habitation-cum-burial site) is carried out to understand the iron thermal-processing capabilities. The retrieved artefacts were examined using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) for elemental composition. The imaging of the artefacts was done using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Electron Backscatter Diffraction
(EBSD), and Optical Microscopy (OM). In addition, phase identification was performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Energy Dispersive X-ray
Spectroscopy (EDS). Combination of these analyses illustrates that inhabitants of Mangadu and Ambal were aware of the iron alloy manufacturing/processing techniques such as forging and hammering.
The Mesolithic Age in South Asia: Tradition and Transition tries to evaluate the cultural and environmental factors, which necessitated a transition from hunting-gathering to food-producing stage; and the material culture, technology, subsistence, art, religious beliefs, disposal of the dead, biological composition, dietary habits, pathology and social organization of the then inhabitants, drawing data from the excavated finds, ethnography and author’s own understanding of this phase for last five decades.
Evidence for the microlithic tradition in India, which now has a duration of over forty millennia, is much richer than for the preceding Palaeolithic period which lasted nearly from 1.0 to 1.5 million years. In the Mesolithic period, microlithic and composite tools took the centre stage resulting in a better economy and sedentary lifestyle and laying the foundation for a settled agricultural life. The book discusses the Origins and Evolution of the Mesolithic Culture with its chronological details.
The five papers in the volume cover a period from the Palaeolithic to the early historic period in India. There is also one paper on the early historic period of Nepal.
The 20 papers in the volume cover a period from the Palaeolithic to the early historic period in India. There is also one paper on the Archaeology of Bangladesh. In addition, there are three papers evaluating Prof. V.N. Misra as an archaeologist and his contributions.
It concludes "Given that glass beads constitute an important antiquity, with a high survival rate, and a size and usage pattern that ensures wide dispersal, it is important to correlate archaeological evidence with current knowledge of production processes involved in bead production. In doing so we begin to understand how the whole life-cycle of beads, from the first stages of production to the various end-uses, traverses a spatially wide area, with possibility of ‘debitage-like’ deposits accumulating at various stages. However, while the beads, once produced, tend to ‘travel’ to distant places, their production requires a complex web of processes, techniques and skills which are likely to be available at only limited number of locations. Thus the dispersal is of the artifact, not of the whole web of production processes, implying that care has to be exercised before any site with bead debitage can be considered a bead ‘production centre’."
The 22 papers in the volume cover a period from the Palaeolithic to the early historic period in India. There is also one paper each on the early historic period of Bangladesh and Nepal. Region-wise in India, four papers are related to the south; three to north; two to the centre; four to west; one to northwest; and five to the east. Thus, one not limited to a particular region. In terms of cultural periods, six papers are cover prehistory (i.e. Paleolithic and Mesolithic); three to Protohistory; three Prehistory and Protohistory together; one to Rock Art; six the Early Historic; one to Archaeozoology; and one to Ethnoarchaeology. One covers the period from the prehistoric to the early historic. In addition, there are three papers evaluating Prof. V.N. Misra as an archaeologist and his contributions.
It concludes "Given that glass beads constitute an important antiquity, with a high survival rate, and a size and usage pattern that ensures wide dispersal, it is important to correlate archaeological evidence with current knowledge of production processes involved in bead production. In doing so we begin to understand how the whole life-cycle of beads, from the first stages of production to the various end-uses, traverses a spatially wide area, with possibility of ‘debitage-like’ deposits accumulating at various stages. However, while the beads, once produced, tend to ‘travel’ to distant places, their production requires a complex web of processes, techniques and skills which are likely to be available at only limited number of locations. Thus the dispersal is of the artifact, not of the whole web of production processes, implying that care has to be exercised before any site with bead debitage can be considered a bead ‘production centre’."
The academic interests Dr. S.P. Gupta, were varied. They included prehistory, protohistory, with special reference to the Indus/ Harappan Civilization, which he christened Indus-Saraswati Civilization, Copper Hoards, Early Historic Art, and Museum Studies
This volume is a modest attempt to tracing the growth of Dr. Gupta’s career as an archaeologist and his contribution to different branches of archaeology and history. It also carries reminiscences of Dr. Gupta’s close colleagues and admirers.
This is for the first time in Indian context on an early historic site each rim sherds is incorporated in the pottery analysis and a detailed statistics of pottery starting from sub-shape to shape to wares to layers for each locality are made; micro vertebrates are analysed; 30 AMS radiocarbon dates obtained from four different laboratories; chemical analysis, x-ray diffraction and strontium isotope analyses were carried out on 38 glass related artefacts; LA - ICP - MS analysis was performed on 22 glass related artefacts and four agate beads samples; SEM analyses was carried out on 11 stone beads drill’s impressions; and one lapis was put into strontium isotope analysis. Incorporating all these reports and numerous maps, line drawings, statistics, charts and photographs this report makes an attempt to say the archaeology and history of Kopia in as scientific manner as it could be.
The Nagas were first reported by surveyors and explorers and later by administrators and trained anthropologists. As soon as the Naga Hills were accessed in the 1830s the area became one of the anthropological paradises and the occupants' material culture attracted all leading ethnology museums and the anthropologists from around the world. Right from the beginning, three groups comprising American Missionaries, British Administrators, and German speaking Anthropologists have worked on and in the Naga Hills. However, due to various reasons, neither the collection of artifacts from Naga Hills to Germany has ever been exhibited in Germany nor the rich anthropological literature published in German language ever got its dues share amongst the English speaking academia in general and Nagas in particular. This book attempts to bring the essence of German literature on the Nagas for the public at large.
by different chapters ranges from the development of faience to the techniques developed for the manufacture of glass beads, glass bangles or glass mirrors at different times in South Asia, a major glass-producing region and the regional distribution of key artefacts both within India and outside the region, in Africa, Europe or Southeast Asia. Some chapters also include extended examples of the archaeometry of ancient glasses. It makes an important contribution to archaeological, anthropological and
analytical aspects of glass in South Asia. As such, it represents an invaluable resource for students through academic and industry researchers working in archaeological sciences, ancient knowledge system, pyrotechnology, historical archaeology, social archaeology and student of anthropology and history with an interest in glass and the archaeology of South Asia.
Stone beads have gained the reputation of being one of the most important markers of prehistoric technological complexity, especially in South Asia. Their study is crucial for understanding our past contacts, technology and trade, besides comprehending our mastery over material culture and the procurement of diverse raw materials. Keeping this in mind, this book discusses, with the help of literary and epigraphical references, the development of stone beads through the ages, the utility and fruitfulness of typologies, the techniques historically used in their production and finally the modern scientific procedures which can be used in their study to better understand and interpret the past technology. It also deals with ethnohistorical studies of Khambhat (Cambay) to understand the historical development of the city—the most prominent traditional stone bead industry of the world—since the crafts started there, and ethnographical studies to know the symbolism behind the aggressive use of particular products.
The combined output of this book is a result of long-term fieldwork and experimental and scientific studies in laboratories in not only answering the statics of beads like 'when' and 'where' but also cognitivism, that is, 'why' and 'how'.
understanding this heritage to a respectable extent, yet a comprehensive knowledge about the evolution of iron making through time and space in India eludes us. In this work, a comparative study of iron artefacts from
two Iron Age/Megalithic-Early Historic sites of Tamil Nadu, south India, that is, Mangadu (burial site) and Ambal (habitation-cum-burial site) is carried out to understand the iron thermal-processing capabilities. The retrieved artefacts were examined using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) for elemental composition. The imaging of the artefacts was done using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Electron Backscatter Diffraction
(EBSD), and Optical Microscopy (OM). In addition, phase identification was performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Energy Dispersive X-ray
Spectroscopy (EDS). Combination of these analyses illustrates that inhabitants of Mangadu and Ambal were aware of the iron alloy manufacturing/processing techniques such as forging and hammering.
include books, edited volumes, research articles, short notes, popular articles, book reviews, reminiscences, and obituaries. However, this annotated bibliography is limited to only the research articles in English. A list of all other publications has been given in Section II.