Indian Archaeology- New Perspectives (An Old and Rare Book)

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Prachya Niketan-the centre for advanced studies in Indology and Museology, Bhopal Hosted the XI Annual Congress of the Indian Archaeological Society and the VI Session of the Indian Society of Prehistoric and Quaternary Studies between the 16" and the 18th March, 1980. This was also the occasion when an UGC sponsored Seminar on the protohistoric Chronology of central India was held at the same venue.

The present volume-Indian Archaeology-New Perspective is its logical outcome embodying the cream of research papers presented to or read at the conference and seminars on various aspects of Indian Archaeology, Particularly of Madhya Pradesh.

The book is divided in to four sections prehistory, Protohistory, Protohistoric Chronology of Central India and General- the third incorporating the papers presented to the seminar sponsored by the UGC. This is also contain the inaugurals address by the Rajyapal as well as the addresses of the Presidents of the respective sections of the Congress.

The section of Prehistory Contain nine papers encompassing the vast vista of protohistoric archaeology of India with special emphasis on Bhimetka, Madhya Pradesh Papers on Bhimbetka emphasis that the evidence from here would give an authentic clue to the chronology of stone ages in India besides providing data for the evolution of the quartz blade from the Acheulian to Mesolithic times. In this reason is also include a paper on the microwear study of Lower Palaeolithic quartz tools from the cave at Aragon, France, Showing the multipurpose utilization of tools which changed with the change in operation.

The next section on protohistoric studies contain ten papers spanning the cultural sequence from Pre Harappan through Harappan to Megalithic Iron age. Of these most note worthy are those on the Bara Culture and its housing remains with special reference to the Sanghol, the Technology of Indus civilization dealing extensively with the ceramic and metal technologies standardization and innovations etc. A paper on the distribution of Harappan wears in the Gangetic valley highlights the significance of the discovery of a terracotta sailings with Harappan script from Hulas. Included also are papers dealing with extent of the Harappan civilization in Haryana and Gujarat. Interesting is the postulation that OCP Users were pre-Harappan Indus Valley people. The Only paper on iron age highlights the excavation of the typical megalithic monument of Kerala, the Kodaikallus.

A dozen papers on the Protohistoric chronology of Madhya Pradesh finds place in the third section The Most important contribution here is the paper on phosphate analysis of the habitational deposits from stoneage sites of Bhimbetka, Kahandera and the chalcolithic to historic sites of Dangwada and Mandasaur and comparing the same with Naikund, a megalithic site near Nagpur by R.V.Joshi and B.S.Deotare Wakanker's study in the regional variations in the chalcolithic Malwa and Vibha Tripathi's fixing of the Iron Age of Malwa are useful contributions.

The Last section incorporating general papers deal with the identification of Ayodhya of the Ramayana, the evolution and development of the iconography of Naga Muchalinda, the Sans -Skikhara temple from the Mandapika the Misrajati temple at Nilakantheswar, the iconography of Sadasiva etc.

Dr. B.K. Kaul Deambi had his early education in Srinagar, Kashmir and later obtained Master's Degree with distinction in three disciplines, Sanskrit, Hindi and Ancient Indian History. Culture and Archaeology and Ph.D. form the Punjab University, Chandigarh. He was awarded the university medal for securing first position in ordered to merit in Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology.

For a number of Years Dr. Deambi worked as professor of Sanskrit and Hindi in Gandhi Memorial College, Srinagar and did extensive research work under various U.G.C. schemes. At present he is Reader in the centre of central Asian Studies, Kashmir University, Srinagar. He has contributed quit a good number a papers to various reputed journals and Felicitation Volumes published in the country and his three works, viz. Early History and Cultural Study of the Sarada Inscriptions of the North Western India and Pakistan and Palaeographic study of the Bower Manuscripts, are ready for publication.

Dr. Deambi is intimately associated with the several academic societies in the country and is a member of the executive committee of the Epigraphically Society of India and the Place Names Society of India.

**Contents and Sample Pages**