Format: Paper presentations with discussion
Convenors:
Dr Vinay Kumar, Associate Professor, Centre of Advanced Study, Dept of Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India, vinaykumar166@yahoo.com
Dr Rose Solangaarachchi-Bandujeewa, Immediate Past President, Sri Lanka Council of Archaeologists; Senior Lecturer, Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, rosebandujeewa@hotmail.com
Mr Kasun S. Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka Council of Archaeologists, Sri Lanka[, kasunsjayasuriyaresearch@gmail.com
“Emblems on the Move” centres on understanding how symbols, iconography, and even specific motifs travelled across ancient trade networks, embedding cultural, religious, and political meanings within regions that may have been otherwise isolated from each other geographically. The idea of “Emblems on the Move” highlights symbols as cultural ambassadors, mapping the spread of ideologies, artistic influences, and human cognition, alongside the movement of goods and people. By tracing these symbols along ancient trade and communication routes, the session illuminates the intangible exchange that complemented material trade, showcasing how ideas and cultural practices were shared, transformed, and localised. In modern archaeological frameworks, symbolism has a major role and it became an attractive archaeological working space all over the world.
The session focuses on the following areas:
1. Symbols as Cultural Currency. In ancient history, symbols were not just made for decoration purposes; they served as a type of cultural “currency” that carries meaning, identity, and often spiritual significance. This area explores how merchants, artisans, and monastic travellers carried these emblems as they moved through ancient networks, bringing distinctive symbols to new regions.
2. Trade Networks as Vectors of Symbolism. Ancient trade routes, such as the land routes (based on mountain ridges), maritime routes, and riverine (river or river valley) routes, ideas and ideologies. This explores interacts between diverse groups, including traders, religious missionaries, and local communities. For example, the Indian ancient trade route carried the message of Buddhism and Jainism all around India.
3. Artefacts as the Base of Symbols and Ideologies. Artefacts are the major actors of ancient symbolic systems. Those carried all the cognitive historicity of human nature, such as behavioural patterns and peoples’ beliefs and activities.
4. Cross-Comparative Analysis with Other Ancient Civilisations. A comparative approach would allow for the analysis of symbolic exchange beyond a single cultural context. Examining the parallels in how symbolic systems spread across trade routes from the prehistoric era and also the Mesopotamia, Indus Valley, Chinese civilization, Egyptian civilization, Greece, and the Roman Empire offers insights into universal patterns of cross-cultural symbolism. This analysis could reveal how integrating symbols across different civilisations provided social cohesion, especially in multicultural trade hubs like Alexandria or ancient ports along the Arabian Peninsula.
The exploration of “Emblems on the Move” could provide a profound understanding of how symbols, as carriers of culture, adapted and thrived in diverse contexts, revealing the extent of interconnectedness and mutual influence across ancient civilisations.
Papers:
The Lion as a Symbol of Strength: A Cross-Cultural Study of Its Association with Warrior Goddesses
Prakhar Srivastav, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
The concept of mother goddesses, symbolising both nurturing affection and protective strength, was embraced by various ancient civilisations. While often depicted as tender and caring, these maternal figures also assumed the role of fierce warriors when defending their children. This duality highlights the resilience and power of the maternal figure in different cultures. The lion, a symbol of strength, bravery, and power, is closely associated with these goddesses, reinforcing their warrior-like qualities. As a religious and mythological symbol, the lion represents the fierceness required to protect those under their care. The connection between warrior goddesses and the lion spread across civilisations through trade and cultural exchange. This symbol adapted to various contexts, with notable examples including Ishtar in Mesopotamia, Sekhmet in Egypt, Cybele and Rhea in Greece and Rome, Al-Lat in pre-Islamic Arabia, and Durga in India. Each of these goddesses is depicted with a lion or associated with lion-like attributes, symbolising their strength. The diffusion of these deities and their connection to the lion reflects the broader influence of trade, as well as the exchange of religious and cultural symbols. This paper will explore the antiquity, expansion, and significance of these warrior goddesses and their lion associations across civilisations.
Historical Trade and the Spread of Medical Knowledge: The Role of Ancient Trade Routes in Facilitating Medical Exchange
Prof. Sapna Ratan Shah, School of Computational & Integrative Science, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
This paper explores the role of ancient trade routes in the dissemination of medical knowledge, herbal remedies, and surgical techniques across civilisations. As merchants, pilgrims, and travellers traversed these routes, they carried not only goods but also essential medical information that shaped early healthcare practices. The Silk Road, Indian Ocean maritime networks, and trans-Saharan routes served as key conduits for this exchange, enabling the transfer of innovations such as Chinese acupuncture, Ayurvedic herbal treatments, and North African surgical techniques. For example, Chinese moxibustion influenced Middle Eastern medicine, while Greek theories by Hippocrates and Galen were adopted and adapted in Asia. Maritime routes facilitated the spread of Indian remedies like turmeric and neem, which merged with Middle Eastern and African traditions. Similarly, North African practices, including the use of henna as an antiseptic, influenced sub-Saharan healing methods. These exchanges illustrate how interconnected human health was in the ancient world, with diverse cultures contributing to a rich tapestry of medical practices. The continuous flow of knowledge along these trade routes fostered collaboration, improved disease management, and laid the foundations for modern global health practices.
Memories and Motifs: From Lyon to Lucknow, the La Martinére Symbology
Dr Shalini Awasthi, Assistant Professor, School of Heritage Research and Management, Dr B. R. Ambedkar University Delhi, India
Mnemonics is a psychoanalytical aid crafting our visualisation, creating an understanding and acceptance of symbols and motifs. Humans, the intrepid travellers, have internalised memories of homelands, expressed in thoughts and translated into artistic motifs, sculptural designs, and emblems, as people traversed different geographies.
This paper attempts to contextualise the translation of memories into motifs by a Frenchman, Claude Martin, who “arrived at India a common soldier and died at Lucknow 13th September 1800”. In his Last Will and Testament, Claude Martin bequeathed his final architectural creation, Constantia, to be converted into “a college for children and men”. The legacy of his educational institutions, spread across two continents and three cities, eponymously named La Martinére, are associated with their founder through the motto Labore et Constantia, the school song Viva La Martiniére, and the school flag, a curious amalgam of an island, a tiger, fish, ship and sun.
This paper is an attempt to construct the memories and motifs created by an unusual Frenchman, and one of the “few men, deceased for over two hundred years, whose memory is annually celebrated in three countries”.
Minted Emblems: Tracing Indo-Greek Symbolism Through Trade and Communication
Shivam Pandey, Dept of Ancient Indian History, Culture & Archaeology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
Symbols are the most precise and convenient means of communication, enabling the exchange of ideas and thoughts across civilisations. As civilisations advanced, these symbols evolved to convey increasingly complex ideas, serving diverse functions in governance, trade, religion, and daily life. Indo-Greek coinage, as an example, highlights how symbols were adapted for cultural and political purposes in ancient trade networks. The fusion of Greek deities such as Apollo with Indian motifs like the bull and lotus on these coins reveals an advanced communication system that bridged cultures. Bilingual inscriptions further demonstrate the coins’ role in fostering understanding among linguistically diverse populations. This study traces how these coins, as both economic tools and cultural artefacts, travelled along trade routes, carrying with them the emblems of political authority and shared identity. By examining the distribution of these coins and comparing them to other ancient numismatic traditions, such as those in Rome and the Kushan Empire, the research highlights the universality of symbols in ancient globalisation.
Maritime Trade Networks and Religion in Mobility
Ratrayee Bhowmick, MA in Historical Studies, Nalanda University, India
Monetary currency determines the value and demand of a material good, while cultural value allows the determination of the value of oneself. And both cultural value and monetary value serve similar evolutionary functions in history. While monetary currency determined the economic value and standard, cultural currency determined the inculcated standard espoused by the cultural standard. In both cases they allow the people to barter or trade with unlimited possibilities. This paper aims to focus on the Indian Ocean Trade networks and the symbols, faith and ideology that travelled across the economic and religious space which was created in the Indian Ocean network. Material symbols travelled in the form of iconographies, such as Buddha images. The trade network was established by a mercantile community who carried these intangible resources (knowledge, ideology, wisdom etc), along with tangible materials (cloth, amulets, motifs, crafts etc). The movement of material symbols of religion (amulets, tablets…) is a common phenomenon of Indian Ocean trade. For example, Islamic ceramics found popularity in China. Maritime trade has brought religion and it’ markers into mobility, which opened economic market pockets and enabled culture to travel from one place to other parts of the world.
Symbolic Confluences: Rock Art of Gilgit-Baltistan in the Context of Ancient Trade and Communication Network
Prof. M. Ashraf Khan, Former Director Taxila Institute of Asian Civilisations, Quaid-i-azam University Islamabad, Pakistan
Hadiqa Imtiaz, Dept of Archaeology, Hazara University Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Gilgit-Baltistan, situated at the crossroads of ancient trade and communication routes, holds one of the densest concentrations of rock art in Pakistan. These carvings, scattered along the River Indus and its tributaries, represent an unbroken sequence from prehistoric times to the historic period. The rock art is evidence of the region’s role as a nexus for cultural and symbolic exchanges, reflecting influences from Indian, Iranian, Chinese, Tibetan, Scythian, and Central Asian traditions. The motifs in these carvings reveal a remarkable diversity, ranging from geometric forms, such as circles, squares, swastikas, and tridents, to intricate pictorial representations, including lotus flowers, sun-disks, wheels (chakras), stupa bells, religious altars, and depictions of masks, hands, and feet. Abstract and secular symbols, alongside culturally significant images like phalluses and Mangala symbols, indicate the multilayered nature of the engravings, which played pivotal roles in the religious, social, and cultural lives of their creators. This symbolic repertoire underscores the Upper Indus region’s historical importance as a conduit for ideas, beliefs, and artistic traditions. The diversity and density of these symbols reflect the convergence of distinct cultural trajectories facilitated by the ancient trade networks that passed through Gilgit-Baltistan. These routes connected South Asia to Central Asia and China, allowing the diffusion of goods and emblems, shaping a shared cultural lexicon across vast landscapes. The study of this rock art provides invaluable primary data for reconstructing the symbolic and historical dimensions of these exchanges. It not only highlights Gilgit-Baltistan’s role as a vibrant hub of interaction but also underscores the enduring power of symbols in bridging geographical and cultural divides along ancient communication routes.
Studying the Concept of Some Symbols Based on Archaeological Discoveries of Gandhara
Prof. M. Ashraf Khan, Taxila Institute of Asian Civilisations, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad Pakistan
Symbols reflect the thoughts and creativity of people who created them with an aesthetic sensibility, and this is manifested in various relics and monuments. Symbols, with their deep philosophical concepts, have been the most important means of understanding the journey of teachings, beliefs, convictions and ideologies, and are inherently linked to rituals and religions. So, each symbol has a profound subject and represents a specific concept in ancient and historical heritage, encompassing deep philosophical content. For instance, symbols such as animal designs, plant designs, and other symbolic concepts found in historical and ancient artefacts like pottery or ceramics, coins, weapons, religious sites, discovered in various regions of the Gandhara, can reveal the meanings, existential philosophies and usage of symbols throughout historical periods. So, these symbols are not restricted to a single geography, group, or historical period; rather, their presence in historical and archaeological relics and monuments tends to be interdisciplinary, with no clear boundaries separating them. Thus, the study of symbols is a very important and significant. This study aims to understand the meanings and significance of some symbols in Gandhara region discoveries and to demonstrate that symbols reflect various beliefs and thoughts throughout history.
This paper will be a descriptive-historical study and will use the library method based on documents and sources, along with the analysis of some discovered archaeological artefacts with symbols.
Iconoplastic Representations of Naga Muchalinda in the Art of Early Eastern Deccan (India) and Thailand: Interrogating its Linkages and Interactions
Dr Sreyashi Ray Chowdhuri, Mahitosh Nandy Mahavidyalaya & Guest Lecturer, Dept of Archaeology, University of Calcutta, India
Issues of cross regional cultural transmissions and interactions between the Indian subcontinent and the countries of South East Asia have occupied a distinct substratum of research in academia. Iconographic interconnectedness became a visible cultural vocabulary explicitly exhibited in numerous icons and motifs from both geographical terrains. Among them the Nagas constitute a significant iconographic component of South Asian archaeology. Among the various Nagas referred in the different literary tradition, Naga Muchalinda, the focus of our discourse, was very popular in the Buddhist pantheon and was extensively represented in art historical documents of India and South East Asia.
Within the geographical confines of India, early Eastern Deccan yielded some exquisite representations of Naga Muchalinda, whose artistic impulses are visible in the Naga Muchalinda depictions in South East Asia in general and Thailand in particular. The paper endeavours to investigate and compare the icono-stylistic minutiae of Naga Muchalinda images in early Eastern Deccan and Thailand in order to interrogate the interconnectivity between the images. The research also intends to trace the probable route of transmission, possible agencies of exchange and plausible inspiration behind the creation of Naga Muchilinda imageries in shifting geographical scenery.
Bridging Civilisational Gaps: Emblem Symbols and Trade Networks between India and the World
Dr B.K. Pandey, Arjun Jaitley National Institute of Financial Management, Faridabad, Haryana, India
Dr Jaya Bhalla, Arjun Jaitley National Institute of Financial Management, Faridabad, Haryana, India
Trade networks have long been recognised as crucial vectors of cultural exchange, facilitating the transmission of ideas, motifs, and symbols across civilisations. This paper explores the role of trade routes in disseminating emblem symbols across ancient India and the rest of the world, bridging civilisational gaps and harmonising diverse cultural traditions.
Through a critical analysis of archaeological, literary, and artistic sources, this research reveals the extensive networks of trade and cultural exchange that connected ancient India to the Mediterranean, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Emblem symbols, such as the lotus, swastika, and Buddha’s wheel, travelled along these trade routes, adapting to local contexts and influencing the artistic, architectural, and literary traditions of diverse civilisations.
This study demonstrates how trade networks facilitated the transmission of symbolic meanings, mythological narratives and artistic motifs, fostering a shared cultural heritage across ancient civilisations. The findings of this research highlight the significance of trade networks in shaping the cultural landscape of ancient India and the world, and underscore the importance of reconsidering the conventional boundaries between Eastern and Western cultural traditions.
This paper examines the dynamic interplay between trade, culture, and symbolism, offering new insights into the complex processes of cultural exchange and transmission that have shaped human history.
Narrative Inclusivity in Indian Art Through Symbolism: An Observation
Dr Priya Saxena, Associate Professor, Dept of Ancient History and Culture, MJP Rohilkhand University, Bareilly, India
Inclusivism denotes a conscious acceptance of attributes, symbols and motifs of other religious tradition having common heritage, history, culture and tradition. Inclusiveness in Indian art is defined by symbolic significance and openness to foreign influences, bringing in a harmonious synthesis of traditions. According to Stella Kramisch, Buddhist art of the second century B.C. used similar configurations and is embodied in Hindu art of all periods. The gateways (toranas) of Buddhist stupas portray Jataka stories and symbols, including the lotus, wheel, and tree, which have value in both Buddhist and regional cultures. This research study will focus on the significance of symbols in Indian narrative art, including sculptures and paintings that represent mythological concepts. The key aspects comprise the impact of Greek tradition on portrayals. Greek gods and goddesses were represented alongside Buddhist symbols and figures, integrating Greek mythical characters with Indian religious narratives. Apollo, the Greek deity of the sun, could be symbolically associated to the Buddha in art, indicating enlightenment and transcendence.
Trade Network and Coinage Reflected Through Symbols – Fresh Evidence from Chandavaram, a Buddhist Centre in Andhradesa
Talisetty Sreelakshmi, Regional Director, Western Region, Archaeological Survey of India, Mumbai, India
Buddhist monastic campuses in Andhradesa apart from being the religious centre were serving as trade and cultural hubs during early centuries of the ancient period. There seems to be less intervention by political rulers, as they acted as independent cultural complexes. Among such centres, Chandavaram occupies a prime place and was a staunch and austere commercial epicentre for trade and religion. Chandavaram is located on the banks of the river Gundlakamma in the Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh. The Buddhist complex is replete with panels showcasing the symbolic worship of the Buddha through emblems such as the bodhi tree, empty throne, buddhapāda, stupa with parasols above, as well as triratna, srivatsa and svastika. Fresh evidence of punch marked coins has recently come to light over the sculptural panel which provides a direct indication of the coinage utilised for the purposes of exchange in trade. A mutilated panel with an embellished horse showcases the coinage with punch marks – sun, arched hill with a crescent, elephant etc. Apart from regular archaeological excavations, this is evidence represented by the sculptor supporting the existence of the punch marked coins at the Buddhist centre during the early centuries CE.
Sectarian Harmony in the Gupta Period: Insights from Emblems on Seals and Sealings Unearthed at Thanesar, Kurukshetra (Haryana)
Dr Manoj Kumar, Assistant Professor, Dept of History, Maharshi Valmiki Sanskrit University, Kaithal, India
Harpreet Singh, Dept of Dharamshastra, Maharshi Valmiki Sanskrit University, Kaithal, India
Meenakshi, Dept of Vyakaran, Maharshi Valmiki Sanskrit University, Kaithal, India
This research paper deals with the sectarian harmony in ancient India, with a special reference to the Gupta period, through the emblems found on seals and sealings. An archaeological excavation carried out by the author in 2012-13 at a mound known as a Buddhist stupa at Thanesar, Kurukshetra district, Haryana, yielded several terracotta seals and sealings. These objects bear emblems representing Shaivism, Vaishnavism, and other Brahmanical traditions, offering profound insights into the convergence and interplay of religious ideologies during the Gupta age. The integration of various sectarian symbols on a single seal or sealing highlights a diplomatic effort to bridge divides and foster unity among different religious communities. These emblems not only signify physical mobility but also reflect ideological fluidity, transcending individual sectarian boundaries to create a shared cultural and spiritual identity. The Sanskrit language inscriptions in Brahmi script on terracotta seals and sealings demonstrate the cooperative and inclusive nature of the secret society. Ritualistic and administrative practices appeared to involve participation from diverse religious groups, aligning with the Gupta period’s broader ethos of cultural synthesis and interfaith dialogue. This era, often termed the ‘Golden Age’ of India, is renowned for promoting social cohesion and ideological inclusivity.
Monks, Merchants and Monasteries: Understanding the Dynamics of Buddhist Symbolic Systems through the Lens of Archaeology and Written Scrolls in the Ancient Gandhara and Greater Gandhara Region
Dr Anand Gupta, Faculty of History, Dr Ambedkar Centre of Excellence at Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, India
This paper tries to configure the symbolic Buddhist systems in the realm of “Gandhara Buddhism” and its geographical region of influence i.e., Ancient Gandhara and Greater Gandhara. It would try to understand “Gandhara Buddhism” in the context of its lay believers (Upasaka), the merchant class (Gahapatis), institutional followers (Bhikshus), monastic institutions (Samgha) as well as its patrons from both royalty and common people. The objective of this study is to locate the symbolism of Renunciation, the idea of Buddhist asceticism in Gandhara, Prabajja, and Nirvana, the Attainment of punya, Dana and commemoration and devotion towards the Relic worship tradition in this region. French archaeologist Alfred Foucher, who pioneered archaeological explorations in this region, particularly Afghanistan, has coined this region as the ‘second holy land’ of Buddhism based on the vast archaeological visual remains discovered here. Moreover, the discovery of the Gandhari written scrolls in Kharosthi script has revived this idea of the ‘second holy land’ of Buddhism. According to Richard Salomon, the expression of “Gandhara” later evolved not in any strict political sphere but was rather a linguistic influence zone of the Gandhari language whose evidence has been found in both literature and many Gandhari inscriptions.
Navigating History: An Ethnoarchaeological study of Traditional Wooden Boats of River Brahmaputra and Their Role in Trade, Warfare, and Cultural Exchange of South Asia from Antiquity to Modern Times
Debasish Dey, Visva-Bharati University, West Bengal, India
The River Brahmaputra is one of the largest rivers of South Asia, originating from the Tibet region (China) and entering India through Arunachal Pradesh and lastly dropping its water in the Bay of Bengal in Bangladesh. The river Brahmaputra has created the World’s largest river Island ‘Majuli’ in the state of Assam, India. Besides its geological importance, this river has also facilitated its importance from the perspective of the human past. From the archaeological evidence of ancient times, it is known that the river Brahmaputra was a vital conduit for Kamrupa kings and their naval fleets, traders and fishing communities. Besides the naval fleet, inland river trade with different parts of India and sea trade from the river Brahmaputra through the Bay of Bengal was also evidential. However, there is no naval fleet at present and connectivity to the sea trade has been lost. In this ethnoarchaeological research I want to show that this region has lost its rich glorious past cultural tapestry, but some communities have preserved evidence of old practices, like traditional boat building and handmade pottery and continue their river-borne trade following the barter system.
The Rhythm of Change: Monsoon as a System of Symbolic Exchange Across the Indian Ocean
Dr Sima Yadav, Assistant Professor, School of Heritage Research and Management, Dr. B R Ambedkar University, New Delhi, India
This paper will explore the gift of monsoons to India and how they shaped trade and cultural networks across the Indian seas. The knowledge of harnessing monsoons was known to Indians since the early Vedic period. The historical traditions and cultural narratives are beautifully interwoven around the seasons. The present paper emphasises the historical traditions that trace the nature and shifting of paradigms over the centuries. The environmental impact of monsoons is so powerful that they have historically shaped trade routes and continue to influence modern economies and geopolitics.