An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c10.s1.17

v1.c10.s1.17

'The first stage consists in determining the relative position of one culture to another by stratigraphy which can be ascertained by scientific excavation and sometimes legitimately inferred from the reports of excavation which was not so scientific. We shall see that it is possible to observe or "rescue" the stratification from half-a-dozen or so sites, and even if this only establishes relationships between a few of the cultures it must be remembered that this method is basic, and any discrepancies in the stylistic system must be rigorously checked against the stratigraphic evidence. This stylistic method, the comparison of significant types and styles of ornament between the cultures, is the second stage and one which is of considerable importance in this particular enquiry owing to the scanty evidence from excavation, and the correlation of the evidence from these two methods should give a working sequence within the Indian culture-province. This sequence can then be checked by the third method, comparison and equation between the Indian cultures and those of Iran and Iraq, where a mass of detailed stratigraphical and chronological evidence exists. The final summing-up from all the three lines of enquiry should give us the best picture available of the Indian culture sequence in the present imperfect state of knowledge.