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The ‘Madrasien’: on the trail of a terminology in Indian prehistory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 October 2022

Shanti Pappu Open the ORCID record for Shanti Pappu [Opens in a new window]  and
Kumar Akhilesh
Shanti Pappu*
Affiliation:
Sharma Centre for Heritage Education, Sholinganallore, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India Visiting Professor, Humanities and Social Science, Krea University, Sri City, Andhra Pradesh, India
Kumar Akhilesh
Affiliation:
Sharma Centre for Heritage Education, Sholinganallore, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
*
*Author for correspondence ✉ pappu.shanti@gmail.com
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Abstract

Archaeological nomenclature influences the classification of cultural phases, objects and related behavioural interpretations. The term ‘Madrasien’, synonymous with the Acheulian, was a key concept in early studies of Indian prehistory, encompassing notions of geographical/administrative boundaries, tool types, cultural identities and migrations. Madrasien was coined in 1931 by the Austrian prehistorian Oswald Menghin and established in South Asian prehistory by V.D. Krishnaswami. Here, the authors trace the evolution of the term, situating it within the wider discourses in Indian prehistory and examining its role in shaping ideas on South Asian Palaeolithic nomenclatures. The Madrasien was gradually replaced by the current medley of African, European and Southeast Asian terminologies.

Keywords

South AsiaPalaeolithicOswald MenghinV.D. Krishnaswamihistory of archaeologyarchaeological cultures
Type
Research Article
Information
Antiquity , Volume 96 , Issue 390 , December 2022 , pp. 1443 - 1459
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Antiquity Publications Ltd

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