The Archaeology of Coastal Bengal

Rupendra Kumar Chattopadhyay

Publications related to coastal Bengal mainly focus on trade and commerce of the eastern Indian littoral; this volume is a clear departure from the existing historiography and it specifically pursues different aspects of the settlement dynamics of the area concerned
The present work is essentially based on the first hand data recorded through successive field explorations over a long period of time and the interpretation of the same
In the present work, emphasis has been given to record the human history in the making of the littoral society on the basis of archaeological findings and other historical records or the ethno-archaeological parameters
Since the work is a thorough documentation of grass-root data, the volume is expected to fulfil a long felt lacuna in eastern Indian archaeology. Therefore, the work could be regarded a s a source book of coastal Bengal

The Archaeology of Coastal Bengal

Rupendra Kumar Chattopadhyay

Description

Research work on coastal Bengal has mostly focused on maritime trading networks. In a clear departure from the existing scholarship, this volume questions the linearity of considering trade as the sole determinant of creation of settlement in the coastal regions. Focusing on settlement strategies, Chattopadhyay unravels how human societies, through successive generations, have adapted to the coastal environment and bioregime.

First-hand data, procured through extensive fieldwork, forms the sound basis of this work. From structural remains, ceramic and bone implements, and stone tools, to terracotta figurines and inscriptions, a vast array of sources, including epigraphic and literary sources, is analysed. Significantly, the volume also highlights the interconnection between coastal geography and the hinterland.

Chattopadhyay's meticulously researched work offers a geographical and temporal frame which allows the research on coastal Bengal to be viewed as an integral part of the archaeological developments in not only the subcontinent but also the adjoining region of the Southeast Asian countries.

The Archaeology of Coastal Bengal

Rupendra Kumar Chattopadhyay

List of Illustrations
Preface and Acknowledgements
Prologue
1. Historiography
2. Quaternary of the Bengal Coast
3. Geophysical Features of Coastal West Bengal
4. Distribution of Sites/Settlements
5. Assemblage Analysis
6. Inscriptions and Coastal Life
Epilogue
Glossary
References
Index
About the Author

The Archaeology of Coastal Bengal

Rupendra Kumar Chattopadhyay

Author Information

Rupendra Kumar Chattopadhyay, Paresh Chandra Chatterjee Professor of History, Presidency University

Rupendra Kumar Chattopadhyay is Paresh Chandra Chatterjee Professor of History, Presidency University, Kolkata, India. He has published widely in national and international journals on various issues related to the archaeology of the middle and lower Ganga valley, the eastern Indian plateau, and the eastern Indian littoral. He has also written on eastern Indian prehistory, protohistory, Indian religions, Indian art and iconography, the political history of the Satavahanas and the western Kshatrapas, and the ancient Indian caste system. His major publications include Bankura: A Study of Its Archaeological Sources (2010).