hosted by Otis Crandell
In this episode I talk with Ekta Singh about the history of Spiti Valley in northern India and her archaeological research in the area as well as some of the general aspects of doing archaeological research in the high altitude environment of the Himalayas.
Listen to this episode online:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/10xjEihzrNDxoTnWzIQGGH
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/id1530678697?i=1000539637986
Anchor: https://anchor.fm/archaeocafe/episodes/archaeocafe-e199bo7
Some useful terminology and links
Spiti Valley
A cold desert mountain valley located high in the Himalayas in the north-eastern part of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The name “Spiti” means “The middle land” (the land between Tibet and India).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiti_Valley
Rock art
Human-made markings placed on natural stone surfaces. These may be drawn, painted, or carved.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_art#Paintings
Petroglyph
A marking engraved, carved or scratched into a rock surface. The rock is left in situ (as opposed to, for example, portable carved stone objects). A form of rock art.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_art#Petroglyphs
Selected reading
Contesting antiquity and development: A report on the rock art preservation in Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh
by Ekta Singh, Vijay Bodh, and P.M. Saklani
Revue d’Etudes Tibétaines, 2017, Vol. 41, p. 86-102.
http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/ret/pdf/ret_41_04.pdf
https://www.academia.edu/35131156/
The ancient ceramic tradition of the Trans-Himalayan region of Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh: Based on new findings
by Ekta Singh, Nagendra Rawat, Rakhi Burfal, and R.C. Bhatt
Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology, 2019, Vol. 7, p. 324-339
http://www.heritageuniversityofkerala.com/JournalPDF/Volume7/18.pdf
https://www.academia.edu/43818898/
Preliminary exploration at Lari village: A petroglyph site in Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh, India
by Ekta Singh and R.C. Bhatt
Kalākalpa, 2020, Vol. 5(1), p. 175-188
https://www.academia.edu/43818917/
A preliminary investigation of the burial sites at Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh, India
by Ekta Singh and P.M. Saklani
शोध ऩत्रिका (Shodh Patrika), 2017, Vol. 272(3-4), p. 29-43
https://www.academia.edu/38091593/
About Ekta Singh
Dr. Singh is a researcher at the Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal (HNB Garhwal) University in Uttarakhand, India. Her research focuses on the history of the Spiti Valley through various forms of archaeological analysis. Some of her particular research interests include weaving and lithics technology.
Web:
https://ingumbad.academia.edu/EktaSingh
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ekta-Singh-10
https://scholar.google.co.in/citations?user=PRlkuLYAAAAJ