Indian Culture
Archaeology

Projects

Completed
1) History & Archaeological Research on the Megalithic Cists in Tamil Nadu, Sponsored by Cultural Resource Conservation Initiative, New Delhi as Archaeology Consultant in 2012-13
2) Panchakanchi funded by Indian Council for Historic Research, New Delhi, India as Director in February 2015.

Ongoing
1) BhavataPurna joint project with Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies (OCHS), Oxford University, Oxford. England as Co-ordinator from 2015.
2) Documentation and study of Archaeo-metallurgical & Ethno-metallurgical evidences in western part of Tamil Nadu with special reference to Iron Funded by Indian National Science Academy, History of Science, New Delhi, India as Principle Investigator started from November 2015.

Archelogical Excavations
Since 2000, archaeological explorations followed by excavations are conducted in different parts of Kanchipuram dist, Tamil Nadu and traced many new evidences for the first time related to early Human activities in the region. Among them, Early Stone Age settlements at Singadivakam, Memorial structures with terracotta rings from the river Vegavati, Corrosion-Resistant Iron Production centre at Pallnerlur, memorials with big boulders in different zoomorphic form at Vadamangalam, etc., important and interesting discoveries.

Research Visits
COUNTRIES VISITED – USA (2003), Germany (2004), UK (2005), Ireland (2008), Jordan (2013) and Japan (2016) – for research related works.
Visited various research Institutions and Universities in USA, Germany, UK during the last five years for further advanced researches in the field of Palaeo-environmental and pathology.
In 2005, visited – Oxford University, Institute of Archaeology – University of London, Cambridge University, etc in UK for academic discussions and new research approaches in Palaeo-botanical, environmental, pathological, etc studies during early Bronze Age (early Sindh Vedic Period).

Books Published

1) Andhra Culture : An Obscure phase in the Early Historical Archaeology of Andhra Pradesh. Agama Kala Prakashan. Delhi. 2010. ISBN - 978-81-7320-097-7.
2) Multipurpose Terracotta Rings: from the river Vegavathi Excavations at Kanchipuram. Agama Kala Prakashan. Delhi. 2011. ISBN - 978-81-7320-097-0.
3) Edited- Arpitam: Multifaceted studies in South Asian Archaeology (Festschrift to Professor Vidula Jayaswal). British Archaeological Reports International Series 2361. Oxford.2012.ISBN-9781407309484

Forth Coming Editions

JAGRUTI Volume IV.
Monograph on Kanchipuram Excavations. Volume I.

Selected Papers

1) 2005 - Environmental constrains and influence on societies in the formation of traditions and customs in the Sindh region – a case study. Social Innovations inCultural Process. Samara UNESCO Centre. Camapa. Samara. Russia. ISBN 5-93424-193-1.
2) 2006 - Environmental conditions and their influence on Socio-cultural systems.E- journal. Berlin. Vol I.
3) 2007 - Environmental Constraints and cultural adoptions during third millennium BC. Bulletin of the Society for East Asian Archaeology (BSEAA). Third Worldwide SEAA Conference, 16-19 June 2004,Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea. online version : ISSN 1864-6018.
4) 2007 - Multipurpose Terracotta Rings & Other New Evidenced From The South India Excavations.
5) 2009 - Terracotta Ring Memorials – British Archaeological Reports (BAR) International series 1974. Oxford. ISNB - 978-1-4073-0458-8.
6) 2010 - Evidences of New Mortal Practices from southern Part of India. . Boundaries and Transitions in Culture of Life and Death. Collection of papers of Fifth International Scientific Conference (25-26 March 2010). Samara UNESCO Centre. Camapa. Samara. Russia. ISBN – 978-88293-272-4.
7) 2011 - Literary & Archaeological Evidence of Early Seafaring & Navigation Technologies in India. Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage, Nov 2011. Manila, the Philippines. Conference Proceedings.
8) 2012 -Memorialize the Dead: Some observation on early traditions. Arpitam: Multifaceted studies in South Asian Archaeology (Festschrift to Professor VidulaJayaswal). Pisipaty, S.R.K. (ed). British Archaeological Reports International Series 2361. Oxford: 37-42. ISBN-9781407309484.
9) 2013. Advent of Iron and Genesis of Socio-Cultural Changes in India. Modernization of Culture: Paradigms of Cultural Changes. (Eds) Vladimir Ionesov & Svetlana Soloviova. Samara State Academy of Culture and Arts. Samara. Russia: 80-86. ISBN 978-5-88293-334-9. Ebook – ISBN 978-5-88293-334-9.
10) 2016 - Structural Heritage – Evolution & Traditions in Indian. Archaeology as Socio-Cultural Practice. Heritage and Modernity in The Dialogue of Cultures from The Volga to The Zeravshan. (ed) Vladimir I. Ionesov. Samara State Academy of Culture and Arts. Samara. Russia: 229-247. ISBN 978-5-88293-376-9.
11) Ceramic traditions in Early Andhra Desha - an aprisal. Mahasenasiri Riches of Indian Archaeological and Cultural Studies: I.K. Sharma Felicitation Volume. Ed. Chenna Reddy, P. New Delhi. 2008. ISBN - 81-88934-38-0.
12) Early Sindh Vedic Environment and Socio-cultural responses. Saundaryashri: Studies of Indian History, Archaeology, Literature and Philosophy. VolsI-V. 2009. ISBN-81-88934-61-4.
13) Andhra Culture – An Obscure Phase in the Early Historical Archaeology of Andhra Pradesh. Recent Researches in Archaeology, History and Culture (Festschrift to Prof. K.V. Raman). II. 2010:195-208. ISBN – 978-81-7320-087-8.
14) The River Vegavati at Kanchipuram: Myth & Archaeology. VijnanaJhari, Research Journal. I.Kanchipuram. 2011 : 184-194. ISSN – 2231-5195.
15) Pamcakāñcī – Abode of Religions and Educational Institutions. Pracyabodha Indian Archaeology and Tradition (Professor T.P. Verma Festschrift). (eds) Mani, B.R., Arvind K. Singh and Ravindra Kumar. B.R. Publishing Corporation. Delhi. 2014. Vol II:386-395.ISBN 9789350501450.
16) New Buddhist Evidences at Kanchipuram from Recent Archaeological Excavations. Bodhisiri, A Festschrift to AnnapareddyVenkateswara Reddy (Buddhaghoshudu). (eds) Chenna Reddy & E. Siva Nagi Reddy. Research India Press. New Delhi 2014: 264-71. ISBN 9788189131753.
17) Terracotta Ring Memorials: A New Evidence in Mortal Practice from Kanchipuram Excavations. Cultural Contours of History and Archaeology. In honour of Snehasiri Prof. P. Chenna Reddy. Vol I. (eds) Krishna Naik, K & E. Siva Nagi Reddy. In X volumes. B.R. Publishing Corporation. Delhi. 2015: 289-93. ISBN 978935050065.1.

FDP/ Seminars/ Workshops

1) More than two dozen, conducted by various departments and institutions in the field of Archaeology, Indian Culture, Remote sensing in Archaeology, etc in India and abroad.
2) Attended & Organized sessions/presented papers in International Conferences in Abroad
3) Attended Fifth World Archaeological Congress (5WAC) at Washington DC, USA in June, 2003 and presented two papers titled – 1. Early Sindh Vedic Archaeology 2. Early Sindh Vedic Environment and Socio-Cultural Response – a Scientific Approach.
4) Attended Fourth International Conference on Archaeology of the Ancient Near East (4ICAANE) at Berlin, West Germany in March, 2004 and presented a paper entitled – Changes in Environmental Constraints and Cultural Adoptions.
5) Attended and presented a paper on ‘Socio-Cultural transformation in the Early Bronze Age: A case Study of Sindh region’ in European Association of South Asian Archaeologists at British Museum, London in 2005.
6) Attended and presented two papers in 6th World Archaeological Congress held in University College Dublin at Dublin, Ireland in June-July, 2008.
7) Terracotta Rings for Funerary Monuments – new evidence from South India.
8) Influence of environmental constraints on Vedic Socio-Cultural Formation.
9) Attended 7th World Archaeological congress in January, 2013 held in King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Centre at Dead Sea, Jordan. Organized & Chaired a session on the theme of ‘Advent of Metal & Developments in Asian Societies’ and presented two research papers on different themes. 1.Corrossion resistant iron production centre: evidences from recent excavations at Kanchipuram, India. Memorial Structures with megaliths in zoomorphic forms: new evidences from Kanchipuram excavations on southern part of India.
10) Organized a session on the theme of ‘Transition from Lithic to Metal – an appraisal on global changes’ & presented paper - Early Iron Age Human Activities on southern part of India: from recent Archaeological Excavations in XVII World Congress of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences held in Burgos, Spain from September 1st to 7th 2014.
11) Attended the Eighth World Archaeological Congress (WAC 8) at Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan from the 28th August to the 2nd September 2016. In the congress - organized & chaired a session on the theme of ‘The Trial of Heritage: Can the Past be Modern?’ and presented two research papers on different themes -
1.Socio-technological developments during the Early Iron Age – new evidences from South India.
2.Environmental constrains & socio-cultural formations in early Indian-subcontinent.

Invites Lectures

1) Invited as a Resource Person for Refresher Course to deliver lecturers at UGC Academic Staff College, SambalpurUniveristy, Sambalpur, Odisha on 25th and 26th July 2013.
2) Delivered a lecture on - ‘Human Activities in Early Madras Region – citing Recent Excavations’ at C.P. RamaswamiAiyar Foundation, Chennai on the occasion of The Madras Region Before the British celebrations on 31st August 2013.
3) As a Resource person for Orientation Programme (a Workshop on Carrier Building) from 10th May to 06th June 2015 and delivered two lectures on - 1. Culture and Customs – Origin & Development in BharataKhanda 2. Early Indian Education & Learning System on 13th May 2015 At Sri Venkateshwara Vedic University, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh.
4) As a Resource Person in Salvage Archaeology and Heritage Management in India (NSSAHMI - 2016) National Seminar organized by the Department of History, Meenakshi College for Women, Chennai, 29th & 30th November 2016, delivered a lecture on ‘Heritage City – Kanchipuram’.
5) Special Lecture delivered on ‘Recent Archaeological Excavations in Kanchipuram Region’ at Department of Archaeology, Government of Tamil Nadu, Chennai on 28th December 2016.

Trainings Attended

1) As a Resource Person for Refresher Course to deliver lecturers at UGC Academic Staff College, SambalpurUniveristy, Sambalpur, Odisha on 25th and 26th July 2013.
2) Delivered a lecture on - ‘Human Activities in Early Madras Region – citing Recent Excavations’ at C.P. RamaswamiAiyar Foundation, Chennai on the occasion of The Madras Region Before the British celebrations on 31st August 2013.
3) As a Resource person for Orientation Programme (a Workshop on Carrier Building) from 10th May to 06th June 2015 and delivered two lectures on - 1. Culture and Customs – Origin & Development in BharataKhanda 2. Early Indian Education & Learning System on 13th May 2015 At Sri Venkateshwara Vedic University, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh.
4) As a Resource Person in Salvage Archaeology and Heritage Management in India (NSSAHMI - 2016) National Seminar organized by the Department of History, Meenakshi College for Women, Chennai, 29th & 30th November 2016, delivered a lecture on ‘Heritage City – Kanchipuram’.
5) Special Lecture delivered on ‘Recent Archaeological Excavations in Kanchipuram Region’ at Department of Archaeology, Government of Tamil Nadu, Chennai on 28th December 2016.