UGC NET Archaeology Syllabus
Unit – I
Definition, aim, and Scope of Archaeology, History, and Growth of Archaeology, History of Indian Archaeology.
Relationship of Archaeology with Social and Natural Sciences.
Retrieval of Archaeological Data: Techniques of Explorations and Excavations.www.netugc.com
Aims and Methods of Conservation and preservation of archaeological remains.
Recording and Preparation of Reports.
Unit – II
Chronology and Dating: Relative, Stratigraphy, Typology, Absolute, Carbon 14, Potassium-Argon, Fission Track, Thermoluminescence, Dendrochronology, Pollen analysis, Varve clay analysis.
Other – methods: Flourine test, nitrogen and phosphate analysis, soil analysis.
Methods of Objective Interpretations: Ethnoarchaeology, Experimental archaeology, Application of new archaeological methods in India.
Unit – III
Geological Biological and Cultural Dimension of Man.
Quaternary Period: Pleistocene and Holocene, Environment and Climatic Changes.
Pleistocene Flora and Fauna, Main Stages of Human Evolution and important fossil records.
Appearance of Stone Tools and Development of Technology : Main Techniques and Tools of Stone Age, Methods of study of prehistoric remains.
Unit – IV
Hunting – Gathering Stage : Palaeolithic in Africa, Europe and South – East Asia, Mesolithic in Europe and West Asia; Palaeolithic and Mesolithic remains and important sites of India.
Beginning of Food Production : Neolithic Stage in West Asia, Major neolithic cultures and important sites of India.
Unit – V
Pre and early Harappan Village Cultures of North and North – Western India.
Harappa Culture : Origin, extent, chronology, factors of urbanization, trade, script, religion, art and craft, factors for the decline.
Devaluation of Harappa Culture : Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.
Chalcolithic village communities of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Copper using cultures of Gangetic plains.
Unit – VI
Early occurrence of iron: Chrono – Cultural Features.
Main Characteristics of the Cultures: Painted grey ware, Black slipped ware and Megalithic cultures.
Northern Black polished ware culture: Extent, chronology, characteristics traits.
Important city sites : Raj ghat, Ujjain, Vaisali, Taxila, Mathura, Sravasti, Kaushambi and Sishupalgarh.
Important sites of historical period : Sringverapur, Khairadih, Satanikota, Chandraketugarh, Nasik, Arikamedu and Adam.
Unit – VII
The architecture of Structural Stupas: North and South India.
Rock – cut Architecture: Monastries and Shrines.
Main styles of temples: Origin and development of temples, Main features and examples of Nagar, Vesara and Dravid styles.
Main Styles of Sculptural Art: Mauryan, Sunga, Kushana, Gupta, Satvahana, Chalukya, Pallava and Chola periods.
Unit – VIII
Origin and antiquity of coinage in India. Techniques of manufacturing coins.
Important Coins: Punch – marked coins, inscribed and uninscribed cast coins; Principal types of Indo – Greek coinage; Saka and Kushan coinage; Principal types of Gupta Gold coinage; Brief account of pre – Islamic Medieval Indian coinage.
Unit – IX
Origin and antiquity of writing in India: Origin of Brahmi and Kharasthi scripts, Study of some select inscriptions – Ashokan edicts, Besnagar Garuda pillar inscription; Hathigumpha inscription of Kharvela, Junagarh inscription of Rudradaman, Allahabad pillar inscription of Samudragupta, Aihole pillar inscription of Pulakesin II and Gwalior inscription of Mihira Bhoja.
Unit – X
Proposed area of research; aims and objectives; proposed methodology; primary and secondary sources; review of previous researches in the proposed area, and likely contribution of the proposal.
