Walking with the Unicorn: Social Organization and Material Culture in Ancient South Asia: Jonathan Mark Kenoyer Felicitation Volume

Walking with the Unicorn - Jonathan Mark Kenoyer Felicitation Volume’ is an important contribution highlighting recent developments in the archaeological research of ancient South Asia, with specific reference to the Indus Civilization. As suggested by the title, it is a compilation of original papers written to celebrate the outstanding contributions of Jonathan Mark Kenoyer to the archaeology of South Asia over the past forty years. Many interpretations now commonly accepted in the study of the Indus Civilization are the results of Kenoyer’s original insights, which combine his instinctive knowledge of the indigenous culture with the groundbreaking application of ethnoarchaeology, experimental studies and instrumental analyses. The numerous contributions from international specialists cover central aspects of the archaeological research on Bronze Age South Asia, as well as of the neighboring regions. They include socio-economic implications of craft productions, the still undeciphered Indus script and related administrative technologies and procedures. The inter-regional exchanges that allowed the rooting of the Indus culture over a vaste territory, as well as the subtle regional variations in this ‘Harappan veneer’ are also studied.