HS 520 Ancient Indian Architecture

MODULE 1

Lecture 002
Introducing Concepts in
Archaeology and Time Periods

V.N. Prabhakar, IIT Gandhinagar

Scope of Archaeology

Archaeology study of human past through

material remains (artefacts), found from
explorations and excavations

Study starts with the emergence of human

Clusters of chipped stone fragments, Quarry site near Dholavira
remains and stone tools (now around 4.3 Mya
in Africa)
Tangible heritage (e.g. Taj Mahal, Ajanta
Caves) and Intangible (e.g. dance forms,
craftsmanship)
A simple scatter of artefacts to complete
cities, quarry sites, mining sites, etc

Colin Renfrew & Paul Bahn 2016

Complete cities
Dholavira: A Harappan City (c. 3000-1500 BCE)
Cultural Periods

Cultures or Time Periods

• Palaeolithic
– Lower Palaeolithic (~1.5-0.3 ma)
– Middle Palaeolithic (~0.3-50 ka)
– Upper Palaeolithic (~50-20 ka)
• Mesolithic / Microlithic (~35-5 ka)
• Neolithic
– Pre Pottery Neolithic (~10-8 ka) Bhimbetka Rock Shelters, Madhya Pradesh

– Pottery Neolithic (~9-4 ka)

• Chalcolithic (~7.5-4ka)
• Protohistoric (Bronze Age / Iron Age)
(~4.6-3 ka)
• Early Historic (600 BCE – 600 CE)
Rock paintings, Bhimbetka
Terminologies

• BC, AD or BCE, CE
– BC and AD now largely discarded due to
their religious connotations
– BC = BCE, Before Current / Common Era
– AD = CE: Current / Common Era
• BP: Before Present, base year: 1950 CE
• Ma / Mya, Ka / Kya
– Million Years ago – Ma / Mya
– Kilo Years ago – Ka / Kya
• More relevant for this course is BP, BCE and
CE; randomly Ma and Ka used
Distribution of Harappan sites and
settlement hierarchy
(c. 2600-1900 BCE)
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Roof plan

Role of geometry in sekhari

style
(after Hardy 2002) (after Hardy 2002)
Angkor Vat, Cambodia
12th c. CE