The inscriptions are the most important and reliable sources of Indian history. Tools and remains found in the Kashmir and Narmada valleys show that the human activities started in the subcontinent as early as two million years ago. The tradition of rock paintings in India is proved to be more than 12 thousand years old. Indians had domesticated sheep and goat and started agriculture about 8,000 years ago and Iron metal came in regular use about 1,600 B.C. Some of the important points that Archaeological discoveries display are − The archaeological discoveries of Black-and-Red Ware, Painted Grey Ware, Malwa, and Jorwe cultures have filled the chronological gaps as well as covered the geographical extent. This is known as Dark Age because not much is known about this period. The Dark Age of Indian history was the period between 1500 and 600 B.C. The Harappan civilizations cover the area of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh (in India). The historic sites such as Kalibangan, Lothal, Dholavira, and Rakhigarhi are the contemporary of Mohenjodaro and Harappa civilizations. The excavations of the cities of Mohenjodaro and Harappa prove the antiquity of Indian culture and civilization, which are more than two thousand years old.
The Kailasa Temple of Ellora and Rathas at Mahabalipuram have been carved out of rocks from outside. Chaityas and Viharas were excavated in the hills of Western India. The temples and sculptures display an architectural and artistic history of the Indians from the Gupta period up-to recent times.ĭuring the Gupta period, the large caves i.e. The study of these inscriptions reveals the world about Ashoka's views on dharma (religion) and conquests of Samudragupta. Inscriptions of Ashoka and Samudragupta provide valuable information about social and political status of the people of that period. Prehistoric artifacts found in the excavations have shown that human activities had started here as early as about two million years ago.Įpigraphy and Numismatics are the important branches of the study of history, which has greatly enhanced the knowledge of India's past.Įpigraphy is the study of inscriptions and Numismatic is the study of coins, medals, or paper money.Ĭoins are an important numismatic source that tells us about the Indo-Greek, Saka-Parthian, and Kushana Kings.
However, the excavations at Mohenjodaro, Kalibangan, and Harappa prove its antiquity to be of 5,000 B.C. Up to 1920, Indian civilization was considered to have begun about 6 th century B.C. The archaeological source enhanced our knowledge about our past and also provided important materials, which we could not have been obtained otherwise. The archaeological source of Indian history is only about two centuries old.
The archaeological sources played an important role in constructing or/and reconstructing the history of a region.
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