107-260 Archaeology of the Indian Subcontinent

This subject is an introduction to the material culture and the art history of ancient India, Pakistan and the Himalayan regions. Starting from the Iron Age and the arrival of Indo-European speakers, students will study the processes of cultural change and interaction in relation to the formation of a central state. Early monuments of this region will be examined in relation to the light they shed on artistic and sociopolitical developments. Pivotal in this study is the mythologies of the new religious systems (Buddhism, Vaisnavism, and Saivism) and their influence on artistic styles.