Methodologies of Interpreting The Ancient Past of South Asia- Studies in Material Culture

The present volume embodies a collection of articles grouped into themes which are varied in their scope and orientation. The articles are categorized into four broad sections high-lighting on philosophical and methodological issues, specific contexts of India's prehistory to early history, material practices and technological heritage and ethnological links. A number of well-known scholars have contributed articles to make this a rich and informative volume which will enlighten readers about the present state of research in India. The contributors have explored different and specific contexts and methods of studying the past with the help of archaeology and analytic sciences on the one hand and ethnology and history on the other. The themes of the articles especially look at the interfaces between archaeology and history as tools of knowing the material culture of the past, focusing on the importance of the scientific approach.

Nupur Dasgupta

teaches history in the History Department, Jadavpur University. She has specialised in the early history of India. The area of her interest covers the social history of science and technology, gender issues, and folk culture in early India. She has published papers on her chosen field of research and is currently engaged in further work on the above subjects.

Pranab K. Chattopadhyay

(b. 1945) is an Archaeometallurgist. He has voluntarily retired as Manager, Training, Alloy Steels Plant, Steel Authority of India Limited, Durgapur. He held the post of Senior Fellow, Centre for Archaeological Studies & Training, Eastern India from August 2001 to December 2010. He worked on the Harikela coins at the British Museum, London, with AZ Chand Award in October 2000. He is the author of Archaeometallurgy in India: Studies on Technoculture in Early Copper and Iron Ages in Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal (2004); Metalcrafts of Eastern India and Bangladesh (2004). He co-authored History of Metals: in Eastern India and Bangladesh in 2010. He has conducted research projects funded by Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi. He is visiting faculty at the Institute of Archaeology, ASI, New Delhi. He has around 115 published papers in national & international journals.

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