Multiple Approaches to the Study of India’s Early Past : Essays in Theoretical Archaeology

Contents: Preface. 1. Theory in archaeology: the new archaeology and later developments. 2. Theoretical perspectives in Indian archaeology. 3. Don’t we need more “falls through the roof”? 4. Darwinian revolution and the birth of prehistory. 5. The past in the Indian mind. 6. The relevance of the past: from Sir William Jones to Amartya Sen. Index. The essays included in this book are based on the invited lectures delivered by the author at various places in the country during the last five years. These essays endeavour to focus attention on one of the neglected-but truly vital-domains of Indian archaeology, viz. critical assessment of various theoretical approaches employed in the investigation of archaeological record in India and examination of the larger sociological dimensions of the study of the past. The first two essays examine the merits of New Archaeology and Interpretive Archaeology and their relevance in the Indian context. The third essay considers the place of non-professional writings about the past. The following essay highlights the larger scientific ferment in the nineteenth century which facilitated the birth of prehistory. The last two essays seek to draw attention to the inseparable links that exist between the past and the present in India and their sociological implications.