Cultural Continuity
From Aceramic to Megalithic: A Periodization of Kashmir’s Prehistoric Cultural Sequence
aceramic Neolithic, Burzahom, ceramic Neolithic, Cultural Continuity, Himalayan archaeology, Kashmir Neolithic, Megalithic, periodization, pit dwellings, trepanationBy: RASHID AHMAD RATHER, MALIK TAZIM NAZIR – This paper proposes a theoretical periodization of Kashmir’s prehistoric cultural development—from the aceramic Neolithic to the Early Historical era—based solely on published archaeological data. By examining architecture, subsistence, technology, mortuary practices, and material culture, it clarifies the diagnostic traits that define each phase. The aceramic Neolithic, best…
Echoes of the Ancestors: Interpreting Mangar Ritual Symbolism in the Darjeeling Hills, India
ancestor worship, Cultural Continuity, ethnography, Indigenous beliefs, Mangar community, Ritual symbolismBy: SOVAN CHAKRABORTY – The Mangar community is often overlooked. This paper examines ritual symbolism among the Mangar community in the Darjeeling hills of India. The Mangars are a small Himalayan group with a long history of ritual practice. Their traditions now face pressure from migration and wider religious influences. These pressures shape how rituals…
Symbolic Parallels between Gondi Tattooing Art and Harappan Cultural Motifs: A Study of Continuity and Heritage
By: RAJ KUMAR VERMA, HARI SHANKAR KUMAR – Gondi tattooing, also known as Godna, is a vital cultural and spiritual practice deeply rooted in the lives of the Gond tribe, one of India’s largest indigenous communities. This research examines the symbolic parallels between Gondi tattoo motifs and the iconography of the Harappan (Indus Valley) civilisation.…