Format: Paper presentations with discussion
Convenors:
Dr Buddharashmi Mani, Director General, National Museum, New Delhi & Vice Chancellor Indian Institute of Heritage (IIH), Noida, India, brmani@hotmail.com
Dr Rajiv Nigam, CSIR Emeritus Scientist, Former chief scientist (Dy Director) and Head (Geology, Marine Archaeology), National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, India, rajivnigam1954@gmail.com
Tishyarakshita Nagarkar, Senior Associate and Editor (Project Ethnography of 45 Tribes of Maharashtra and Assisting Faculty (Historical and Anthropological Archaeology), Dept of Anthropology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, India, bhargav.tishya@gmail.com
Archaeology today stands at the fascinating intersection of science and the humanities, delving into the depths of human civilisation, while providing valuable perspectives on present-day challenges and possibilities for the future. It enhances our comprehension of human development, social interactions, and collective cultural principles, serving as an essential connection in the modern, interconnected landscape. Archaeology and ethnography together give us important information about how resilient and adaptable people have been throughout history and across different cultures. This is especially useful as we deal with the complicated problems that climate change brings. Throughout history, humanity has responded to environmental shifts with resilience and strategy. Archaeological findings, along with ethnographic research, reveal how ancient societies adjusted to various changes, providing insights for modern climate discussions. This collaborative method deepens our insight into human techniques, adaptability, and problems, offering a guide for enduring practices. Contemporary archaeology has evolved significantly with the introduction of cutting-edge technologies, branching out into areas such as urban archaeology, archaeological anthropology, and applied archaeology. These advancements have transformed our ability to interpret human history and its ongoing narrative, while connecting with communities that preserve ancient customs. Advanced techniques and digital enhancements now safeguard both physical and cultural legacies, unveiling fresh avenues for exploration. Nonetheless, these developments present ethical and interpretive dilemmas, requiring a transformative shift towards collaborative methodologies. Archaeology should engage with the complexities of power relations in historical accounts, representation, and the interplay of various cultural legacies. Aligning with the WAC 2025 objective to promote research and inclusivity, inviting scholars to delve into new trends in archaeology, climate change, and ethnography, this multidisciplinary session seeks to blend ethnographic viewpoints on adaptation with archaeological understandings of cultural environments, highlighting resilience and sustainability amid global environmental challenges towards humanity and its heritage.
Proposal Submission: Presenters have the option to submit an individual paper abstract or collaborate with others for shared authorship. Every person is allowed to submit just a single paper for review. This WAC 2025 policy guarantees a wide array of contributions, providing an equal chance for every participant to showcase their work. We invite authors to thoughtfully reflect on their most significant and influential work for submission.
Papers:
Settlement Decline in Bihar Plains During 6th Century CE and Later Resurgence: A Geo-archaeological Investigation
Shanker Sharma, Dept of Ancient Indian & Asian Studies, Magadh University, Bihar, India
This paper offers a clear perspective on the paleoclimate of the regions of the Bihar Plain, which covers a total area of 94,163 km² and is part of the Indo-Gangetic Plain in East India, divided by the Ganges River into northern and southern plains. This area has been densely populated since the Neolithic and remained so through the early historical period. In contrast to the southern plain, the northern plain, which includes a low-lying zone known as the terai, has presented archaeological evidence of catastrophes caused by adverse climatic conditions during the 6th Century CE. These adverse conditions, like severe floods, intense rain, and lake outbursts from the Himalayas, prompted urban decolonisation and led to a significant exodus of people from rural areas to safer zones.
Contemporary literature and travelogues record varied statements about socio-economic conditions before and after these natural disasters. Additionally, archaeological investigations and sedimentological analyses indicate that the region experienced severe and chronic floods during specific periods over consecutive periods. Recent excavations have provided substantial evidence of fluvial activities within the archaeological layers, highlighting the growth, decline, and resurgence of settlements in an area frequently devastated by inundation.
Prehistoric Era through Petroglyphs/Geoglyphs (Goa and Ratnagiri) and Climate
Vaishali A. Chavan, IGNOU, Pune, India
Dr D. P. Sharma, Former Director of Kala Bhavan BHU, India
The prehistoric world is diverse and holds many secrets. The climate is one key to understanding an era; hominids adapted to climate change and survived. Every era is an example of a paradigm shift, from the Eocene to the Holocene. Hominids or human evolution began in the Miocene period. The Miocene to the Holocene period evidence humans’ evolution from apes to Homo sapiens. Rock art is one of the activities that defines the era. India is known to be the oldest rock art site. In the late Pliocene to Pleistocene, Hominin rock art in India at Madhya Pradesh in Bhimbetka and Daraki Chattan dates between 200,000 to 500,000 years ago. Palaeolithic art is also found in Africa, Indonesia, and the Tibetan Plateau. Marine archaeology must be the answer to finding the nature of the age of humans. We will discuss the petroglyphs of Goa and Ratnagiri with climate in this paper. Goa and Ratnagiri’s petroglyphs date from the Palaeolithic to the Mesolithic and continue to be active. Though carbon dating has not been done, the style, typology, and depicted animals estimate the date.
Holocene Coastal Adaptations to Climate Change in the Southeastern US
Nancy White, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida USA
Richard A. Weinstein, Coastal Environments, Inc., Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
Lee Hutchinson, Archaeological Consultants, Inc., Sarasota, Florida, USA
Data from shell midden sites along the northern and eastern Gulf of Mexico indicate extensive prehistoric Native American habitation and adaptation to warming climates and sea-level rise over the past 8,000 years or so. As local environments continue to change, many such sites are affected by increased shoreline erosion and eventually become submerged. Detecting, testing, and protecting such sites require elaborate methods. Examples are given of offshore and terrestrial shell middens from Louisiana to northwest and peninsular Florida. We detail methods to locate and investigate them, including terrestrial and underwater remote sensing and excavation techniques, as well as ways to determine continual threats and devise protection strategies.
The ‘4.2 ka Drought Event’ and the Fall of the Harappan Civilisation: A Critical Review
Mohammad Firoze Quamar, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP), Lucknow; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
Tarannum Jahan, Dept of History, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University (B.R.A.B.U.), Muzaffarpur, India
The role of climate variability in the expansion and collapse of the Harappan Civilisation in South Asia has been a subject of intense research and debate among archaeologists, Quaternary climate scientists, meteorologists, climatologists, historians, geographers, archaeobotanists, and anthropologists. Moreover, high-resolution palaeoclimatic studies have challenged the previous perspectives attributing societal collapses solely to socio-political and economic factors. These studies have revealed that periods of abundant rainfall, resulting from climate amelioration and/or due to seasonality: winter vs. summer precipitation, often coincided with the peak of socio-economic, cultural, and technological advancements in various civilisations. Conversely, abrupt climatic changes or rapid climatic changes, such as prolonged droughts, led to the destruction of irrigation systems, agricultural devastation, and widespread famines. These climatic disruptions triggered cultural adaptations, migrations, and sometimes even the collapse of entire civilisations. Solar variability played a primary role in repeated societal displacements, migrations, and deurbanisation across different regions in the past. The displacement was a response to a weakened Summer Monsoons of South Asia. In this research review article, we aim to understand the role of climate variability and explore the complex socio-climatological linkages in the mysterious displacement of once-thriving, highly advanced, widespread, and urbanised Harappan Civilisation at the 4.2 ka.
Durgadevi: A Proto Historic Site in Eastern India: Archaeological Paradigms and Ethnographical Substances
Dr Sunil Kumar Patnaik, Sr Archaeologist and Director (Research) Odishan Institute of Maritime & South East Asian Studies (OIMSEAS), Government of Odisha, Bhubaneswar, India
The proto-historic habitation site of Durgadevi (DDI) in the District of Balasore, Odisha of Eastern India, was subjected to archaeological investigation during the 2019–2022 field sessions with the index trench YJ-1 reaching a depth of 3.6 metres. Three cultural phases have been identified from the bottom layers: the Chalcolithic period (c. 1350–800 BCE), the Iron Age (c. 800–200 BCE), and the Early Historic period (c. 200–100 BCE/CE) as ascertained from C14 dates. The Iron Age period is notable for the construction of large mud fortification, primarily for irrigation and efficient water management and to establish a secure region, protecting the settlement from external threats. The well-managed hydraulic system is a significant feature of the site. An ethnographical survey was undertaken at Gududa, a potter’s village, located two kilometres from the site, where manufacture of earthen vessels quite similar to those found from the excavation is still going on. The paper is intended to present the archaeological paradigms of the site, as well the living tradition of nearby Gududa potter’s village.
Death, Memory, and Mortuary Performance: Reinterpreting Megalithic Monuments and Associated Rituals Amongst the Gaita Tribe of Vidarbha, Maharashtra, India
Dr Tishyarakshita Nagarkar, Dept of Anthropology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Maharashtra, India
The present study explores the complex link between the megalithic structures (Kalgunda) and the funeral rites of the Gaita tribe in Vidarbha, Maharashtra. Grounded in the Karsad rites, these memory stones serve as dynamic vehicles of cultural memory, connecting the living with the deceased. This study argues that, contrary to the common perception of these monuments as static constructions, they are crucial for comprehending the tribe’s continuous ceremonial rituals and ancestor veneration.
This work use ethnoarchaeology to reconceptualise these monuments as not only static symbols of death, but as active components in the community’s ritual practices, highlighting the significance of oral tradition and social context. The Kalgunda monuments are crucial in honouring ancestors and sustaining cultural continuity.
This study examines the connections between death, memory, and ritual performance, demonstrating that these megalithic buildings are intricately woven into the tribe’s spiritual and social framework. This study enhances the understanding of the ceremonial importance of megalithic structures in safeguarding cultural heritage by addressing archaeological gaps.
Synagogues by the Sea: Rendering the Interplay of Trade, Environment, and Climate Carved Legacy of Jewish Monuments in Coastal India
Shruti Hiremath, School of Social Science, Dept of Anthropology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Maharashtra, India
Tishyarakshita Nagarkar, Senior Research Associate (Project Ethnography of 45 Scheduled Tribes of Maharashtra), Visiting Faculty (Archaeological Anthropology), Dept of Anthropology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Maharashtra, India; Indian Institute of Heritage Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
Tucked along India’s coastal towns, Jewish synagogues tell stories far beyond their sacred walls. They speak of journeys across the sea, of traders drawn to Indian shores, and of communities that quietly took root amidst coconut groves and monsoon winds. This study explores how these synagogues—found in places like Kochi, Mumbai, and Surat—are more than religious spaces; they are living memories of trade, migration, and resilience. Built with care and adapted over time, these structures reflect a deep awareness of the surrounding environment—from the salty air and heavy rains to the changing coastline itself. Through oral histories, architectural observations, and historical records, this work traces how Jewish communities negotiated their identity while responding to the climate and cultural landscapes around them. The synagogues stand not only as markers of faith, but also as symbols of adaptability, rootedness, and belonging in a land far from their ancestral home. As rising tides and urbanisation threaten their presence, this research calls for renewed attention to preserving these monuments—not just as heritage sites, but as heartfelt stories etched into stone by the sea.
“Dead Past But Speaking Antiquities”—A Case Study of the Mula River Basin, Maharashtra
Dr Kumari Abhilasha, Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute, Pune, India
Prof. P.D. Sabale, Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute, Pune, India
The Godavari and Bhima River basin has occupied significance in sustaining the formation of early settled societies of the historical and medieval periods in the uplands of the Deccan Plateau. This paper presents geomorphological episodes of the Mula River and its trajectories with the human settlement from Holocene to the present. The wet conditions in the early Pleistocene, semi-aridity in the middle Pleistocene and dry to semi-arid in the late Pleistocene indicate the monsoonal climatic fluctuations.
The study describes the landscape formations at the Mula’s meander, juxtaposed the archaeological habitations dated to the early historic and medieval periods that were subjected to systematic explorations. The cultural layers show a range of cultural material such as brick bats, potsherds, roof tiles, animal bone and other antiquities. The biostratigraphy and geostratigraphic studies shows how favourable the landform was for the sedentary villages and agriculture based subsistence economy.
This paper is an effort to present a picture of what was happening in the Mula basin geologically and anthropogenically, which could be later found after centuries when, though the living had turned to dead, their belongings continue to speak for their presence, once upon a time …
Echoes of the Vanishing Forge: An Ethnoarchaeological Study of the Kota Tribe’s Lost Blacksmithing Tradition
W. Korshinic Veronicammal, Indian Institute of Heritage, Noida, India
Tucked away in the misty Nilgiris hills, the Kota tribe of Tamil Nadu—one of India’s Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)—has long been praised for its creative brilliance, musical legacy, and craftsmanship. Historically, the Kotas flourished as talented blacksmiths, potters, and carpenters, their homes (kokkals) acting as hubs of native technology and cultural expression. Blacksmithing was respected not only as a source of income but also as a skill profoundly ingrained in their social and ceremonial life. Unfortunately, this very vibrant metallurgical legacy has sunk into oblivion in recent years. The exact causes of this neglect are unclear, hidden in broken oral histories and destroyed knowledge systems. Using an ethnoarchaeological perspective, this paper excavates the blacksmithing legacy of the Kota tribe using oral traditions, material culture, and the remains of ancient forges and implements to recreate their metallurgical history. This study in Kil Kotagiri Kokkal, seeks to connect the past with the present by following the remnants of ancient smithing activities and investigating their influence on ritual, economics, and social identity. Unravelling this lost legacy emphasises the urgent necessity for cultural legacy preservation among PVTGs and helps to preserve South India’s Indigenous metalworking past.
Eternal Mediums, Evolving Imagery: Sacred Landscapes of Ancient Kashi
Dr Buddharashmi Mani, Director General, National Museum, New Delhi; Vice Chancellor, Indian Institute of Heritage, Noida, India
Ajeet Kumar Mishra, Indian Institute of Heritage, Noida, India
This paper looks into the continuity and development of Brahmanical religious iconography in ancient Kashi. It investigates how visual culture mirrors larger socio-political changes across time by use of a combination of archaeological and anthropological methods. The work emphasises the sacred landscape’s persistence by stressing the ongoing usage of certain media and the changing iconographic representations over time.
The study also looks at how environmental elements—such as river changes, frequent floods, and droughts—shape material choice and creative evolution. Stratified environments, abandoned temples, and riverside finds among other archaeological contexts are used to anchor the study physically and chronologically. Ethnographic knowledge of surviving craft traditions and ritual activities deepens the awareness of continuity between past and present. A sophisticated mapping of changes is possible by framing the history of iconography within broad historical phases—Early Historic, Gupta, Post-Gupta.
Using archaeology, ethnography and the climate variability records, the research contends that, even when iconographic forms changed, the consistent availability of robust materials helped to maintain the continuity of creative media. This study provides a thorough perspective of Kashi’s holy landscapes as both ageless and always changing by placing material culture within the dynamic interaction of environment, memory, and socio-political change.
Craft, Climate, and Community: An Ethnoarchaeology of the Tamta Copper Artisans in the Central Himalaya
Ansh Dangi, Indian Institute of Heritage, Noida, India
This study explores the enduring connections among craft production, climate fluctuations, and the availability of materials in the Central Himalaya, with a particular emphasis on the Tamta community of Kumaon. Traditionally engaged in the craft of copper vessel making, the Tamta illustrate the profound influence of environmental resources and climatic pressures on artisanal practices over the centuries. Employing ethnoarchaeological methods, the research investigates the interplay of social integration, technological resilience, and ecological adaptation in sustaining the community’s specialised knowledge. By examining evolving resource landscapes, shifting patronage systems, and ritual practices, this paper situates the Tamta narrative within wider contexts of human-environment interaction, historical continuity, and the evolution of craft identities amid contemporary challenges.
Drawing on archaeological artefacts, oral histories, and anthropological observations, the study reconstructs the pre-mechanisation Tamta community’s involvement in copper mining, artisanal manufacturing, and trading networks. It delves deeper into the ways in which resource depletion and changing agricultural regimes served as critical environmental factors impacting craft adaptations and community resilience across time.
Moving beyond the recreation of the past, the research critically examines the current challenges faced by the Tamta community. It highlights how technological upheavals, market pressures, and climate change continue to reshape the Tamta’s craft traditions and occupational identities. In doing so, the study anchors the Tamta people firmly within the intersections of landscape, materiality, and cultural memory, advocating for a community-centered, nuanced archaeology that acknowledges the interconnected histories and contemporary realities of the Himalayan region’s culture, climate, and human creativity. Ultimately, this research contributes to the growing body of scholarship that interrogates the ethics and efficacy of using archaeological and ethnographic narratives to illuminate the intricate entanglements between material culture, social change, and the natural world.
Palaeolithic Peopling of Western Beringia: A Changing Paradigm
Jiri Chlachula, Institute of Geoecology and Geoinformation, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
The initial peopling of the Circumpolar North is one of the most fascinating themes of world prehistory. Pleistocene cryolithic formations in NE Siberia produce evidence on the earliest presence of Palaeolithic people in Western Beringia today. The permafrost-sealed remains of megafauna, including those anthropogenically treated demonstrate the coexistence of herding animals and humans in the Siberian Arctic as early as 50 000 years ago. Worked and utilised mammoth bones and ivory attest to diverse functional applications and specific behavioral adaptations of early humans with indices of big game hunting. The MIS 3 interstadial (55 000–24 000 yr BP) palaeo-biota records illustrate mosaic parkland-steppe habitats of riverine and lake settings. The multi-functional instruments offer new perceptions of the last glacial habitats through innovative technologies and provide insights on ancient cultural adjustment to geographically marginal and climatically extreme environments of the Ice Age. The investigated sites in the Yana, Indigirka and Kolyma basins revise the traditional views on the Pleistocene colonisation of NE Asia. The physiography and palaeoecology of Beringia did not prevent an eastward extension of the inhabited arctic terrains farther on the present North American continent prior to the Last Glacial Maximum, bearing in mind the high mobility of the Pleistocene hunter-gatherers.