Pottery in South India: Study of Telangana & Andhra Pradesh (2500 BCE - 300 CE)

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Ceramics play an important role in the study of archaeological sites and cultures. Pottery is one of the most abundantly produced material by the ancient communities. Pottery helps us in understanding the state of economy, food habits, technological advancement, trade and contacts, rituals and beliefs, etc. Much of the reconstruction of the history of any archaeological site depends to a great extent on study of its ceramic residues. The data on the pottery is scattered in numerous sources, which makes it difficult to have a synoptic view of the pottery traditions of a region in a particular period.

The present work is aimed at filling this gap, and presenting the data in a single source in a comprehensive manner. The book has data on pottery assignable to different cultural periods starting from Neolithic period (from 2500 BCE) to Early historic period upto 300 CE, from the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in South India. The book contains data on the different types of pottery found at different sites and different cultural periods, along with the line drawings. Keeping in mind the requirements of the future researchers, the original reference source for each type is included in a tabulated form.

The book serves a comprehensive reference source for pottery and a ready reckoner for the ceramic types for the researchers.

D. Sunitha (b. 1977), has obtained her M.A. degree from the Department of History, University of Hyderabad. She was awarded the Doctoral degree for her thesis on the 'Evolution of Pottery in Andhra Desa 2500 BC-300 AD' by the Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati.

Her's is a pioneering work on the ceramic studies of the Pre, Proto and Early Historic periods of the present states of Andhra • Pradesh and Telangana. She has extensive archaeological field experience due to her association with various projects and participation in excavations at Gachibowli and Kondapur sites. She has presented papers in various conferences and has several research papers to her credit.

Pottery is used by the humans, ever since the Mesolithic Age. In archaeological studies, pottery plays very important role. Post-Mesolithic culture studies depend to a great extent on the pottery. The reason is that, pottery is usually the most abundant human made material available on any habitational site. Further, pottery once made to the finish, may get broken, but the various components of it remain forever in the nature. Due to this fact, the habitational sites contain large amount of pots and potsherds. Further, since pottery is made using clay, which was available without any cost, it used to be produced in abundance.

Since, its invention, Pottery is used by humans for various purposes. We have cooking pots, storage jars, tableware, ceremonial ware, etc. It has almost become integral part of human life. Pottery, like the other objects manufactured by humans, undergoes changes time to time and region to region. This results in specific characteristics, which can be identified in the pottery produced in a region in a particular period. This characterization helps us in identifying pottery produced by a particular human group in a particular period. Hence, the study of pottery occupies an important place in archaeological research. When archaeological explorations or excavations are conducted care has to be taken to collect good number of samples of potteries, for they reveal lot of information about various aspects of the life of the people at that particular place in the past. Further, pottery helps us in understanding the state of economy, food habits, technological advancement, trade and contacts, rituals and beliefs, etc. Much of the reconstruction of the history of any archaeological site depends to a great extent on study of its ceramic residues.

In the past more than one and a half centuries, large number of sites have been excavated from the study region. Though, immense quantity of data is published in numerous reports, the information is scattered in umpteen sources. There is no comprehensive work that gives a synoptic view on the pottery from various sites and various cultures. With a view to fill this gap, and to compile a comprehensive work, that serves as a reference source for the researchers, the present work is taken up. Pottery of different cultural periods is distinct from each other, and it has become a practice with the field archaeologists to identify sites and layers on the basis of pottery. Simply put, different cultural periods have their distinct potteries. In consonance, the potteries obviously have to be studied based on the cultural periods to which they belong.

The entire work is divided into six chapters. The first chapter is an Introductory chapter. Ceramics of Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Megalithic and Early historic phases are discussed respectively in separate chapters. The last chapter is a concluding chapter. Tables listing different types are provided with the details of the reference data, and an exhaustive bibliography is provided for the benefit of future researchers. The line drawings of different types will certainly serve extensively in comparative studies.