Browsing by Author "Prabhakar Upadhyay"

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Eastern Son Valley, Uttar Pradesh, India: a Case for IUGS Geological Heritage Site Designation
(Springer, 2022) Gurmeet Kaur; Swtantra Kumar Singh; Prabhakar Upadhyay; Parminder Kaur; Jaspreet Saini; Alok Kumar Pandey; Meenal Mishra
The part of Eastern Son valley of India displays a unique geographical location and geology endowed with diversity, distinctiveness and uniqueness. This region is significantly rich in socio-cultural, historical, spiritual and natural heritage. The Salkhan Fossil Park, the Kaimur sandstone terrane, numerous waterfalls, water reservoirs and geological features together represent the gorgeous landscape that evolved since Palaeoproterozoic. The mountainous region is also marked by a number of historical forts, buildings, rock shelters, prehistoric cave paintings, captivating wildlife and rich mineral resources. Son Echo Point is a significant geotourism site located on the steep scarp of Markundi hill in the Sonbhadra district. It has been developed as the consequence of the Markundi–Jamwal Fault. From Son View Point, one can enjoy a panoramic and breathtaking/spectacular view of Son valley carved along the Son–Narmada lineament. The Markundi hills become a popular tourist destination during the monsoon season because of the stunning landscape and numerous seasonal waterfalls. Another major geotourism location is Veer Lorik Pathhar (stone), which is located on Markundi hill around 100 m from Son Echo Point. In addition to the geologists’ point of view of its origin, it is also shrouded in captivating local folklore. The antiquity of human activity in this area goes back to the Lower Palaeolithic period. Numerous archaeological sites, such as cave monuments and cave paintings, have been uncovered, depicting the cultural and religious beliefs of the local population. Archaeological remains in the form of tools and pottery have been discovered in a number of locations throughout the region. The region is important for its geology as well as for the sociocultural beliefs of the local population. We suggest that the eastern Son valley be recognised as an IUGS global geological heritage site from India based on the noteworthy geoheritage and geotourism sites. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to International Association for the Conservation of Geological Heritage.
Metallurgical study of copper objects from the Varanasi region, India (1200 BCE to 400 CE)
(John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2025) Prabhakar Upadhyay; Rajalakshmi Sivarajan; Vibha Tripathi; Chandan Upadhyay
This study aims to investigate ancient Indian copper metallurgy based on selected copper artifacts recovered from India. The collected objects belong to the period c. 1200 BCE to 400 CE. The paper discusses the analysis of seven artifacts from two archaeological sites (Agiabir and Raipura) around the Varanasi region in Northern India. The study explores the manufacturing techniques and alloying practices applied to the artifacts by analyzing the excavated objects using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. The microstructure of the artifacts revealed the practice of annealing, casting, and forging. Elemental analysis of these objects shows that most of the artifacts are copper–tin alloys, having varying amounts of tin. This study indicates that the tin amount has been varied according to the object's functionality. © 2024 The Author(s). Archaeometry © 2024 University of Oxford.
Metallurgical study of copper objects from the Varanasi region, India (1200 BCE to 400 CE)
(John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2024) Prabhakar Upadhyay; Rajalakshmi Sivarajan; Vibha Tripathi; Chandan Upadhyay
This study aims to investigate ancient Indian copper metallurgy based on selected copper artifacts recovered from India. The collected objects belong to the period c. 1200 BCE to 400 CE. The paper discusses the analysis of seven artifacts from two archaeological sites (Agiabir and Raipura) around the Varanasi region in Northern India. The study explores the manufacturing techniques and alloying practices applied to the artifacts by analyzing the excavated objects using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. The microstructure of the artifacts revealed the practice of annealing, casting, and forging. Elemental analysis of these objects shows that most of the artifacts are copper–tin alloys, having varying amounts of tin. This study indicates that the tin amount has been varied according to the object's functionality. © 2024 The Author(s). Archaeometry © 2024 University of Oxford.
Northern Black Polished Ware: A Technological Enigma
(University of Hawaii Press, 2024) Alok Kumar Kanungo; Oishi Roy; Varad Ingle; Chinmay Kulkarni; Prabhakar Upadhyay; Bhuvan Vikrama
In ancient India, complex technologies for forming and firing pottery were developed to meet the challenges of different types of clays and available fuels, as well as diverse cultural and ritual needs. Clays, slips, and firing processes were simultaneously customized through time and space, resulting in innovative region and period-specific specialized wares. While the knowledge of some pottery making traditions was passed from one generation to the next, and can be documented to some extent today, other techniques, such as the manufacture of Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW), have been lost. Attempts by scholars either to deconstruct this ware scientifically or reconstruct the technique experimentally have largely been unsuccessful. This article is yet another attempt to deconstruct NBPW manufacturing methods, primarily the preparation of the slip, using petrographic XRD, XRF, and microscopy on seven sherds of various shades coming from different sites and times within the peak NBPW period. © 2024 by the University of Hawai‘i Press.