EDITORIAL
ARCHAEOLOGY+LANDSCAPE
ARCHAEOLOGY AND CULTURAL LANDSCAPES
Archaeology and landscape are deeply intertwined. Their relationship is layered and multifaceted, offering rich insights into the evolution of civilizations and the cultural dynamics across India’s diverse geographies. Landscapes that bear the imprints of past natural and cultural processes become vital sources of knowledge—revealing not only material remains but also the social, spiritual, and political structures that once shaped them. This two-part issues—Archaeology and Cultural Landscapes [LA-82] and the forthcoming Archaeology and Site Interpretation [next issue LA-83]—examines the dynamic interplay of archaeology, landscape, and culture in the Indian subcontinent. The series positions landscapes as historical texts holding layered meanings—accessible not just through excavation, but also through memory, community practice, and ecological systems. While the first issue reflects on the intangible relationship of archaeology with time, memory, and nature, the second will focus on archaeology as an interpretive discipline, revealing the many physical and cultural layers embedded in specific sites.
Archaeology and Cultural Landscapes
Landscapes are living repositories of memory, identity, and exchange. This issue brings together essays and case studies that explore how built and lived landscapes across South Asia act as palimpsests of cultural, ecological, and spiritual continuity. Rejecting static or linear readings of history, the contributors navigate the persistent tension between visibility and erasure—whether in parts of old settlements, ritual spaces consumed by urban expansion, or indigenous knowledge marginalized by dominant narratives.
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