This volume showcases the fieldwork undertaken at the Hampi-Vijayanagara site during the 1990s by the international teams of the Vijayanagara Research project (VRP)and Vijayanagara Metropolitan Survey (VMS). Consisting of professional and student archaeologists and archietects from India, the USA, UK, Australia and other countries, these teams have over the years developed specialized techniques of "surface technology" to map and measure all visible physical indicators of past cultural activity at this great ruined Hindu imperial site. The numerous features documented in this way include a wide variety of archaeological features related to religious and courtly practice, defence, transport, the provision of goods including water and ceramic veessels, and even recreation. These features range in scale from stanging and collapsed buildings to images and diagrams cut into granite boulders and sheetrock. While the VRP has concentrated on the Urban Core and Sacred Centre of the site, an area comprising approximately 25 square kilometres, the VMS has investigated the vast hinterland to Hamp-Vijayanagara, extending over more than 600 square kilometres. The 50 articles that appear in this volume are grouped in two parts, corresponding to the VRP and VMS projects. They range from overall reports of fieldwork to studies of individual features written by the project directors as well as by participating team members. While much of this reporting is in the nature of "work in progress" rather than "final interpretation", it is hoped that these various articles will suggest the diverse approaches taken by the different authors and stimulate further research. Both sets of articles conclude with comprehensive bibliographies.
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