Artefacts of History is an intriguing and detailed account of the development of Indian archaeology as a distinctive regional discipline. Through a reevaluation of existing histories and narratives, Sudeshna Guha not only produces a critique of some of the contemporary canons of disciplinary history, but extends this to the implications for the actual practice of archaeology in India today. This book prompts the somewhat pressing question of what exactly archaeology should be, and though answers to this inquiry are constantly evolving, Guha's account is a fascinating and thought-provoking read for both practitioners and general audiences interested in debates about the Indian past.

The introduction lays out the book's program of critique—from questioning the singular narrative of South Asian archaeology and its development as a historical science to the concepts and practices of postcolonial archaeology in India today. The former theme is elaborated in chapter 1, which reviews traditional colonial histories...

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