डॉ. बी. आर. अम्बेडकर विश्वविद्यालय दिल्ली 
| Course Type | Course Code | No. Of Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Core | HRM2AM114 |
Objectives: Historical Archaeology is part of historical studies and archaeology dealing with places, things, and issues from the past or present when written records and oral traditions can inform and contextualize cultural materials. In addition, these records can complement and conflict with the archaeological evidence found at a particular site.
Historical archaeology aims to document and explain the origins and developments of human cultures, understand cultural Evolution, and study human behaviour and ecology in historical and contemporary societies. Historical archaeologists search for patterns in the Evolution of significant events such as the development of farming, emergence of cities, symbiotic relationship between urban and rural cultures and centres, or collapse of civilizations and why these events occurred. Historical archaeology aims to correct inaccuracies in historical narratives, study hidden history and re-examine the historical past.
The pedagogy and assessment are designed and structured so the student can submit continuous evaluations and assignments on the applicability of the modules/resource/ idea of their choice and case studies based on the course's learning outcomes.
- Learning Outcomes:
- Developed a critical reading of historical text and understanding of archaeological sites.
- Learn about Primary and secondary literary sources, Archaeological sources, and narratives and their use in reconstructing the past.
- Learn about societies, cultures, and technologies, how they operate, and how they have changed human life over the centuries.
- It helps them as individuals and societies to understand why our societies are the way they are and what they value in terms of tangible and intangible heritage.
- Understanding the ancient societies with complex material cultures and traditions that set modern civilization's foundation.
Modules:
Module I: Introduction, Scope, Definition, Concepts and Sources of Historical Archaeology.
Module II: Understanding the Evolution of Historical Archaeology and Historical Geography in India. Case studies of Historical sites.
Module III: Urbanisation and State Formation; Understanding the Paradigms of Urbanism, Urban Complexities and State Formation in India. Emergence of Urban-Rural Life, Economy and Society during Historical Period.
Module III: Megalithic Cultures in India; the Origin and Chronology of Megalithic Cultures. The Megalithic Typology, Distribution and Material Cultures.
Module IV: Ethono-Archaeological Cultures; Human and Environmental Interactions; with the Agro-Pastoral and Nomadic Societies and Case Studies of their Living Traditions.
Module V: Medieval Archaeology in India; Definition and Approaches of Archaeological Sites and Monuments of Medieval Period with the case studies of Fatehpur Sikri, Hampi, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Champaner.
Reading List:
- A . Ghosh, 1957, Rajgir 1950 Ancient India No.7, New Delhi
- A Gosh, 1973, The City in Early Historical India, New Delhi
- Altekar, A. S. & V. K. Misra ed, 1957, Report on the Kumrahar Excavation 1951-55-1959, Patna.
- Amita Ray, 1998, Historical Archaeology of India, New Delhi.
- Andre Wink, 1990, AL-HIND: The Making of Indo-Islamic World, 2 Vols, New Delhi.
- Anthony King, 1976, Colonial Urban Development: Culture, Social Power and Government, Routledge and Kegan Paul, London,
- Anthony King, 1985, 'Conceptualizations about Colonial Cities,' Colonial Cities: Essays on Urbanism in a Colonial Context, Leiden,
- B. Lal, 1948, Sisupalgarh, Ancient India, No. 5, New Delhi.
- B. N. Puri, 1966, Cities in Ancient India, New Delhi.
- B.B. Lal, 2017, Kausambi Revisited, Aryan Books
- B.B. Lal, 2017, Testing India Traditions: On the TouchStone of Archaeology, Aryan books
- B.B. Lal,2021, Indraprastha: The Earliest Delhi Going Back to the Mahabharata Times, Aryan Books
- B.D. Chattopadhyaya, 1994, The Making of Early Medieval India, New Delhi
- Deborah L. Nichols and Thomas H. Charlton (ed), 1999, The Archaeology of City-States: cross-cultural Approaches, Washington.
- Dilip K. Chakrabarti, 1998, The Archaeology of Ancient Indian Cities, New Del Dilip K. Chakrabarti, 1999, India, An Archaeological History: Paleolithic beginnings to early Historical Foundation, OUP
- Dilip K. Chakrabarti,1992, The Early use of iron in India, New Delhi
- Dilip K. Chakrabarti,2001, The Archaeological Geography of the Ganga Plain: The Lower and Middle Ganga, New Delhi
- Dilip K. Chakrabarti,2006, The Oxford Companion to Indian Archaeology: the Archaeological Foundation of Ancient India, OUP
- G. Erdosy, 1988, Urbanisation in Early Historic India, OUP
- G. Michell, 2008, Vijaynagar: Splendours in Ruins, Mapin Publishing
- G.R. Sharma, 1960, The Excavation at Kausambi, Allahabad.
- Gavin Hambly, 1968, Cities in Mughal India: Delhi Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, London.
- Ghosh,1950, Taxila (Serkap- 1944-45) Ancient India, New Delhi.
- Gosh (ed.), 1991, An Encylopedia of India Archaeology, 2 Vols, New Delhi.
- H. K. Kaul, 1998, Historic Delhi- An Anthology, New Delhi.
- H.D. Sankalia, 1987, Prehistoric & Historical Archaeology of Gujrat, New Delhi.
- Harbans Mukhia & T.J.Byres, 1983, Feudalism & Non-European Societies, New Delhi.
- Indu Banga, Ed.1994, The City in Indian History: Urban Demography, Society and Politics, Manohar.
- J.S. Deyell, 1987, Living without Silver, New Delhi
- Lewis Mumford, 1976, The City in History, Penguin,
- M.K. Dhavalikar, 1997, Indian Protohistory, Books and Books
- M.K. Dhavalikar,1999, Historical Archaeology of India, Books, and Books.
- Makkhan Lal, 1984, Settlement history and Rise of Civilization in Ganga Yamuna Doab from 1500 B.C. 300 A.D., New Delhi.
- N. P. Joshi, 1968, Life in Ancient Uttarapatha, Varanasi.
- Narayani Gupta, 1981, Delhi Between Two Empires, 1803-1931: Society, Government, and Urban Growth, OUP,
- Nayanjot Lahiri, 2018, Marshalling the Past: Ancient India and its Modern Histories, Black Swan
- R. Allchin, 1990, The Archaeology of Early South Asia: the Emergence of Cities and States, OUP
- R. Nath, 2000, Fatehpur Sikri and Its monuments, Agra
- R.N. Mehta1979, Medieval Archaeology, New Delhi.
- R.S. Sharma, 1965, Indian Feudalism, New Delhi.
- R.S. Sharma:1983, Material Culture, and Social Formation, New Delhi
- Romila Thapar, 2002, Early India: From Origin to A.D. 1300, Penguin
- S. Settar, 1990, Hampi a Medieval Metropolis,Banglore.
- S.M. Chenoy, 1998, Shahjahanabad A city of Delhi, New Delhi.
- Sayed Ali Nadeem, 2013, Fatehpur Sikri Revisited, OUP
- Sima Yadav, 2005, The Myth Of Indian Feudalism, B.R. Publisher
- Sir J. Marshall, 1916, Excavation at Taxila: The Stupa & Monasteries, New Delhi.
- Stanely South, 1977, Method and Theory in Historical Archaeology,
- Stanley South (ed)1994, Pioneers in Historical Archaeology, New York.
- Stanley South, 2002, Archaeological Pathways To Historic Sites Development, Springer, New York.
- Upinder Singh, 2006, Delhi, Ancient History, OUP