The Archaeology of Seafaring in Ancient South Asia

Himanshu Prabha Ray is Associate Professor at the Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University.

• 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.

"Finally, maritime historians will rejoice that we now have our first sea-focussed discussion of the early history of South Asia." International Journal of Maritime History