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Archaeology of Seafaring in Ancient South Asia

by Himanshu P. Ray

Moving away from the rather limited approach taken in many studies of maritime activities in the Indian subcontinent where elitist agendas and trade in luxury goods are accorded primacy, this well-rounded study explores in-depth the relationship between man and the sea in all its many forms. In acknowledging and embracing the peculiarities of maritime conditions and activities in the Indian Ocean, Ray explores the role of seafaring and how it engaged with aspects of religion, politics and the economy within South Asian societies. Covering the period from the 3rd millennium BC to the 5th century AD, the book addresses a broad range of themes including: fishing and sailing communities; cross-cultural interaction; transport, boat-building, navigation and seafaring technology; craft production and trade networks; merchants and guilds; religious interaction and expansion; political structure and processes of consolidation. 335p, b/w figs (Cambridge World Arcgaeology, Cambridge UP 2003)

Publisher's Information - Table of contents

Part I. Historiography and the Maritime Landscape: 1. The perspective; 2. Historiography; 3. The maritime landscape; 4. Geographical knowledge of the Indian Ocean in antiquity: Part II. Fishing and Sailing Communities: Cross-Cultural Contacts; 5. Marine and coastal resources; 6. Maritime communities; 7. Boat nomads; 8. Piracy; 9. Fishing communities: the historical record; 10. Sailing communities: Part III. La Longue Durée: Transportation; Boat-Building Technology and Navigation: 11. Archaeology of the boat; 12. The stitched tradition; 13. Early European response; 14. The ethnographic evidence; 15. Boat-building centres; 16. Traditional navigation; 17. Ownership of vessels; 18. Organisation of shipping; 19. Organisation of shipping; 20. Innovation and change; 21. Repair and maintenance; 22. Chronology of disjunction: Part IV. Maritime Trade Networks: The Beginnings (third-second millenia BCE); 23. Mesopotamian contacts; 24. The Persian Gulf and early maritime networks; 25. The Harappan civilization; 26. The maritime regions of the Harappans; 27. Networks of trade: internal; 28. Transition and change: Part V. Regional Integration: (late second - first millennium BCE); 29. The Persian Gulf; 30. Socotra; 31. Peninsular India; 32. Sri Lanka; 33. Southeast Asia: Part VI. Consolidation of Political Structure: 34. The setting; 35. Political concepts in early Buddhism: theory and practice; 36. Satavahanas and their successors; 37. Alliance as political strategy; 38. The early policies in Sri Lanka; 39. Political developments in early Southeast Asia; 40. Royalty and ritual: Part VII. The Greeks: Adventurers, Traders and Travellers; 41. The explorers; 42. Hellenistic settlements; 43. The Nabataeans, Sabeans and Gerrhaeans; 44. The maritime network; 45. Christian communities: Part VIII. Merchant Lineage and the Guild; 46. Merchant communities and interaction with the state; 47. Organisation of inland trade; 48. The Indian Ocean network; 49. Foreigners and trade networks; 50. Money and the use of coins: Part IX. Multiple Meanings: Craft Production and Trade Networks: 51. The trading commodities; 52. The textiles; 53. Beads; 54. Ivory; 55. Metal artefacts; 56. Organisation of crafts: Part X Shared Faith: 57. Social base of early Buddhism; 58. The worship of the Stupa and the Relics; 59. Pilgrimage; 60. Ritual and ceremony; 61. Buddhism and maritime activity; 62. Archaeology of monastic sites; 63. Continuity and change: Part XI. Retrospect and Prospect: 64. In conclusion; 65. Future research strategy.

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