Archaeology of India

Post-colonial Indian archaeology has typically conformed to a north-centric narrative of Indian history, as is reflected in the intensity of archaeological study of the Indus Valley Civilization in northern India and in Pakistan. While fruitful, this narrative has obscured wider examination of archaeological phenomena across India. This session aims to shed light on the lesser-known archaeology of India. Since the 1970s, Indian archaeologists have increasingly thought of archaeology as a means of generating information on Indian history and have thus sought to further the documentation and collection of archaeological data across India. These interests coincided with the acceleration of natural resource extraction initiatives and the increasing frequency of road, power plant and dam construction. Large-scale building projects often resulted in the displacement of local communities and the destruction of archaeological and historical sites. To that end, this session invites papers that collectively reflect the full scope and diversity of current research on archaeological phenomena from throughout the whole of Indian history, broadly defined, and across the entire Indian Republic. Papers that employ spatial methodologies are especially welcome.