PPT: Archaeological Sources | History Optional for UPSC PDF Download

 Page 1


Archaeological 
Sources 
Page 2


Archaeological 
Sources 
Archaeology
Definition
Study of human past 
through material remains 
(e.g., structures, artifacts, 
bones, coins, inscriptions).
Purpose
Recover and interpret 
material remains to 
understand past cultures.
Key Materials
Structures: Palaces, 
temples.
Artifacts: Pottery, seals, 
coins, sculptures.
Organic Remains: 
Bones, seeds, pollen.
Significance
Primary source for 
prehistory, proto-history, 
and complementary to 
literary sources in 
historical periods.
Page 3


Archaeological 
Sources 
Archaeology
Definition
Study of human past 
through material remains 
(e.g., structures, artifacts, 
bones, coins, inscriptions).
Purpose
Recover and interpret 
material remains to 
understand past cultures.
Key Materials
Structures: Palaces, 
temples.
Artifacts: Pottery, seals, 
coins, sculptures.
Organic Remains: 
Bones, seeds, pollen.
Significance
Primary source for 
prehistory, proto-history, 
and complementary to 
literary sources in 
historical periods.
Exploration and Excavation
Archaeology is the science of digging through old mounds to study the material life of 
past people. A mound is raised land covering ancient remains. Mounds are of three 
types:
Single-culture mounds (one culture, e.g., PGW, Satavahana, Kushan)
Major-culture mounds (one dominant, others secondary)
Multi-culture mounds (several cultures in succession).
Excavation reveals these layers and can be done in two ways:
Vertical excavation (deep, to show cultural sequence over time)
Horizontal excavation (wide, to show site life in one period, but costlier and rarer).
Page 4


Archaeological 
Sources 
Archaeology
Definition
Study of human past 
through material remains 
(e.g., structures, artifacts, 
bones, coins, inscriptions).
Purpose
Recover and interpret 
material remains to 
understand past cultures.
Key Materials
Structures: Palaces, 
temples.
Artifacts: Pottery, seals, 
coins, sculptures.
Organic Remains: 
Bones, seeds, pollen.
Significance
Primary source for 
prehistory, proto-history, 
and complementary to 
literary sources in 
historical periods.
Exploration and Excavation
Archaeology is the science of digging through old mounds to study the material life of 
past people. A mound is raised land covering ancient remains. Mounds are of three 
types:
Single-culture mounds (one culture, e.g., PGW, Satavahana, Kushan)
Major-culture mounds (one dominant, others secondary)
Multi-culture mounds (several cultures in succession).
Excavation reveals these layers and can be done in two ways:
Vertical excavation (deep, to show cultural sequence over time)
Horizontal excavation (wide, to show site life in one period, but costlier and rarer).
Preservation of Ancient Remains
The preservation of ancient remains depends on the 
climate:
In dry areas (like western Uttar Pradesh, 
Rajasthan, and northwest India), old objects 
stay in better condition.
In moist and humid areas (like the mid-
Gangetic plains and river deltas), iron gets rusty 
and mud buildings are hard to find. Only burnt 
brick and stone buildings stay well preserved 
there.
Page 5


Archaeological 
Sources 
Archaeology
Definition
Study of human past 
through material remains 
(e.g., structures, artifacts, 
bones, coins, inscriptions).
Purpose
Recover and interpret 
material remains to 
understand past cultures.
Key Materials
Structures: Palaces, 
temples.
Artifacts: Pottery, seals, 
coins, sculptures.
Organic Remains: 
Bones, seeds, pollen.
Significance
Primary source for 
prehistory, proto-history, 
and complementary to 
literary sources in 
historical periods.
Exploration and Excavation
Archaeology is the science of digging through old mounds to study the material life of 
past people. A mound is raised land covering ancient remains. Mounds are of three 
types:
Single-culture mounds (one culture, e.g., PGW, Satavahana, Kushan)
Major-culture mounds (one dominant, others secondary)
Multi-culture mounds (several cultures in succession).
Excavation reveals these layers and can be done in two ways:
Vertical excavation (deep, to show cultural sequence over time)
Horizontal excavation (wide, to show site life in one period, but costlier and rarer).
Preservation of Ancient Remains
The preservation of ancient remains depends on the 
climate:
In dry areas (like western Uttar Pradesh, 
Rajasthan, and northwest India), old objects 
stay in better condition.
In moist and humid areas (like the mid-
Gangetic plains and river deltas), iron gets rusty 
and mud buildings are hard to find. Only burnt 
brick and stone buildings stay well preserved 
there.
Excavation have revealed insights 
into
Villages started around 6000 BC in Baluchistan.
New cultures grew in the Gangetic plains in the 
second millennium BC.
Details about settlement layouts, pottery types, 
house forms, cereals eaten, and tools used.
In South India, people buried their dead with tools, 
weapons, and pottery inside stone circles called 
megaliths, telling us about life in the Deccan from 
the Iron Age onward.