Publications

This paper presents a review of how Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have transformed archaeological and heritage research. Rather than organizing the field around sensors and technologies, the paper proposes a research-question-driven framework, examining how geospatial methods address problems such as feature detection, settlement systems, historical geography, site extent, heritage management, built heritage documentation, and archaeoastronomy. Drawing on international scholarship and Indian case studies, the paper traces the historical evolution of geospatial approaches and discusses broader conceptual issues, including the relationship between technological innovation, archaeological evidence, and interpretation. The paper concludes with emerging directions involving AI, multi-temporal datasets, and web-based geospatial platforms for heritage research and conservation.

Aishwarya Prashant Mhaske and Francesc Conesa examine the challenges of using legacy archaeological datasets for spatial research through a case study of Mature Harappan sites in eastern Kachchh. The study demonstrates how inconsistencies in legacy coordinates, duplicate site records, and uncertain cultural attributions can affect archaeological interpretation, and evaluates the complementary roles of remote sensing, historical maps, GIS, and field verification in critically reassessing these datasets. A key outcome of the study is the creation of a cleaned and field-verified archaeological dataset, which has been made openly accessible through the Zenodo repository to support transparency, reuse and future research. The study highlights the importance of critically evaluating legacy records and integrating them with field-verified evidence and modern geospatial approaches for reconstructing archaeological landscapes.

Learning the 108 karaṇas, codified dance units from the ancient text Nāṭyaśāstra, offers new possibilities for embodied training, creative exploration, and pedagogical renewal in Bharatanatyam. As a Bharatanatyam dancer, I engage these possibilities through a practice-as-research (PaR) lens. Structured training in karaṇas revealed significant pedagogical potential: enhancing kinaesthetic alignment, enabling both expressive and abstract choreography, and fostering aesthetic integrity. Through embodied inquiry and critical analysis of the Nāṭyaśāstra,I examine how karaṇas, often excluded from mainstream curriculum in India, can complement aḍavu-based pedagogy and support a more holistic and responsive Bharatanatyam education. 

Contemporary dance scholarship has increasingly turned toward decolonial perspectives, yet much of this work continues to operate within conceptual frameworks that separate theory from practice and aesthetics from embodied experience. This paper addresses this limitation by revisiting the Nāṭyaśāstra as an Indic framework for understanding methods in dance education.

Contemporary dance scholarship has increasingly turned toward decolonial perspectives, yet much of this work continues to operate within conceptual frameworks that separate theory from practice and aesthetics from embodied experience. This paper addresses this limitation by revisiting the Nāṭyaśāstra as an Indic framework for understanding methods in dance education.