Man has been deeply involved with the sea, since antiquity. This book is a step towards writing a definitive maritime history of India. The book contains well-researched articles contributed by the expert nautical archaeologists, maritime historians and navigators. The papers deal with ancient ships and shipping, maritime trade and contacts of Harappans with the Mesopotamians, later Indian trading and power systems, Indian ports in international trade, pottery and ceramics, vital aspects in the fields of shipbuilding, sailing outfits, cannon making, navigation and producing the national infrastructure to support a maritime industry, sociological factors prevalent in Indian mariners, role of mathematicians, engineers, metallurgists, astronomers and scientists in development of shipping and seafaring, pioneering work and foundation of nautical ethnography, British strategic vision, importance and status of maritime heritage researches in the Indian Ocean and reports on the excavation of an ancient shipwreck, Princes Royal, in the Arabian Sea, demonstrate India’s preparedness to search, study and preserve her underwater cultural heritage.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Alok Tripathi
Dr. Alok Tripathi, born in 1965 at Gwalior, obtained his Masters Degree in A.I.H.C. and Archaeology and Sociology from Jiwaji University, Gwalior and Doctor of Philosophy from M.S. University of Baroda. He has participated in archaeological excavations at Karbabhat and Sorar, Sopara, Paithan, Dholavira, Rakhigarhi and Ojiyana. He is a diver and has participated in underwater excavations at Dwarka in the Arabian Sea; Transquebar and Kaveripattnam in the Bay of Bengal; Calanque de I' Ann (France); La Pointe Lequin (France); Cala Culip VI (Spain) in the Mediterranean Sea and Saint Vaast La Hougue (France) in the English Channel. He is presently heading the Underwater Archaeology Wing of the Archaeological Survey of India. He is Director of excavation of a shipwreck Princes Royal off Bangaram Island and excavation at Elephanta Island, in the Arabian Sea and excavation at Mahabalipuram in the Bay of Bengal. He has visited France, Spain, Monaco, Denmark, U.K., Hong Kong, Macau SAR China and Nepal. He is the author of 'Excavation of Princes Royal', 'Recent Excavations in Rajasthan' and editor of 'Proceedings of the International Seminar on Marine Archaeology' and 'Remote Sensing and Archaeoogy'. Besides he has published more than 50 research papers in various reputed journals and other volumes.
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