ASIAN 2265

Beyond Kings, Palaces and Temples: Introduction to the Archaeology of South Asia

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2014-2015.

This course will explore major themes in the archaeology of the South Asian subcontinent from the earliest palaeolithic hunter gatherers to the development of large empires in the mid first millennium CE. South Asia is an extremely diverse geographic and cultural region and we will deal with considerable regional variation: from large states and empires in some areas to foraging groups in others. The course will therefore be organized thematically, alternating between studying broad subcontinent-wide developments and examining illustrative regional case-studies. Some of the themes explored are: the beginnings of agriculture; the growth of complex political systems; and the role of inter-regional interaction. Students will be encouraged to situate the South Asian material within wider theoretical and methodological issues within archaeology and anthropology.

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