Marine Archaeological Perspective of the Indian Ocean
Contents: Preface. Introduction. I. 1. Welcome address/R.F. Contractor. 2. Keynote address/Gauri Chatterji. 3. Inaugural address/Madhvendra Singh. 4. Closing address/M.P. Awati. 5. Vote of thanks/R.F. Contractor. II. 1. Ships and shipping in ancient India/R.S. Bisht. 2. The later Indian trading and power systems in the Indian ocean (4 - 12 century AD)/Ranabir Chakravarti. 3. The Arab seagoing traditions in the Indian ocean (8-15 century AD)/John Carswell. 4. The relative maritime technologies at the time of European encounter (15-16 century AD)/K. Raja Menon. 5. Archaeological investigation of Princes Royal off Bangaram Island - introduction and underwater operations/A.K. Patnaik. 6. Archaeological investigation of Princes Royal - excavation and identification/Alok Triapthi. 7. Traditional boats and ships of India through ethnographical studies of Admiral Paris (1806-1893)/Eric Rieth. 8. British strategic vision of the Indian ocean (1857-1947)/Andrew Lambert. 9. The stellar compass and the Kamal - an interpretation of its practical use/Jose Manuel Malhao Pereira. 10. The Indian and Pacific Oceans in world maritime history/Joseph J. Krol. 11. Maritime heritage, mutual heritage - research beats collecting/Thijs J. Maarleveld/Delegates. Index.
"Maritime history is the foundation for maritime strategy. 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 to study the movement of goods, relative technologies of the western and Indian seafarers, 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, practical uses of the stellar compass and the Kamal in inter-tropical ocean navigation, importance and status of maritime heritage researches in the Indian ocean.
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. Profusely illustrated this book would be of interest not only to archaeologists, historians, mariners and nautical engineers but also to students and common readers." (jacket)
