Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: Regional Political Authority Under the Vijayangara Empire, India

在Carla M博士的监督下。Sinopoli，Elizabeth Bridges将在Keladi和Ikkeri进行考古调查并分析数据，Keladi和Ikkeri是中世纪南亚Vijayanagara帝国的地区首府。1330年代至17世纪C.E.）。这些遗址位于今天印度南部的卡纳塔克邦;从公元1499年开始，它们被占领为一个地区政体的首府，根据帝国宪章进行统治。 布里奇斯的研究重点是系统地调查和记录今天在地表上可见的考古遗迹。 这些发现包括：寺庙、军事防御工事、功能不明的结构遗迹、雕刻的石头、工业化前的加工区、人工制品集中地、水管理和农业特色。 这些地点在中世纪时期的大城市和郊区环境中使用GPS，照片，手绘地图和书面描述进行记录。 陶器（当地陶器和进口瓷器及釉器）、磨石、金属物品和硬币等文物将被收集起来进行分析。对前现代帝国地区首府的研究非常重要，因为它有助于我们了解这些庞大的扩张主义国家是如何出现、发展、运作和崩溃的。许多关于帝国国家的研究都集中在核心首都地区，而忽视了外围地区的发展前景，这些地区为大多数著名帝国的中央集权繁荣提供了保障。 该项目通过记录在中央帝国权威下运作的两个区域中心的定居点，为帝国动态的研究做出了贡献。 记录这些地点代表政治、军事、经济和社会活动的特征和文物的存在、位置和变化，将有助于对区域定居点本身进行比较，以及地区定居点和帝国首都之间的关系，从而可以检查随着时间的推移而发生的变化以及帝国与地区当局之间关系的性质。这个项目将产生更广泛的影响，通过公众宣传和南亚及其他地区学术界的工作，提高对印度考古学的理解。 在克拉迪和伊凯里周围的地方环境中，通过面对面的互动、公开会议以及与村民大会分享报告和出版物，已经并将继续提高公众对纪念碑和较小遗址的文化意义的认识。 该项目还与Shimoga区Kuvempu大学的Keladi博物馆和研究局协调，后者策划展览并协助不同学科的学者分享研究成果。 除了对北美和欧洲的期刊和专业出版物的预期贡献外，作者还将向南亚的科学界提供结果。此外，作者已经培训并将继续与学生和专业考古学家志愿者在北美科学传统的实地方法。

Under the supervision of Dr. Carla M. Sinopoli, Elizabeth Bridges will conduct archaeological survey at and analyze data from Keladi and Ikkeri, regional capitals of the Vijayanagara Empire of medieval South Asia (ca. 1330s-17th c. C.E.). These sites are located in what is today the state of Karnataka in southern India; they were occupied as sequent capitals of a regional polity which ruled under an imperial charter starting in 1499 C.E. Bridges' research focuses on the systematic survey and documentation of archaeological remains visible on surface today. Such finds include: temples, military fortifications, structural remains of unknown function, carved stones, pre-industrial processing areas, artifact concentrations, and water management and agricultural features. These locations within what were larger urban and suburban contexts in the Medieval Period are documented using GPS, photos, hand drawn maps, and written descriptions. Artifacts, such as pottery (local earthenwares and imported porcelains and glazewares), ground stone, metal objects, and coins, will be collected for analysis.Research focusing on imperial regional capitals of the pre-modern era is important because it contributes toward our understandings of how these large, expansionist states emerged, grew, functioned, and collapsed. Many studies of imperial states have focused on core capital regions at the cost of developing perspectives on the outlying areas which underwrote the centralized prosperity for which most well-known empires are recognized. This project contributes to the study of imperial dynamics through documenting settlements at two regional centers which operated under the central imperial authority. Documenting the presence, location, and variability of features and artifacts that represent political, military, economic and social activities at these sites will allow comparisons between the regional settlements themselves, and between the regional settlements and the imperial capital thus allowing for examination of change over time as well as the nature of the relationship between empire and regional authorities.Beyond contributing to social science research questions, this project will have a broader impact by enhancing the understanding of the science of archaeology in India, through both public outreach and work within the academic community of South Asia and beyond. In the local environs surrounding Keladi and Ikkeri, public awareness of the cultural significance of monuments as well as smaller sites has been and continues to be accomplished through face to face interaction, open meetings, and the sharing of reports and publications with village assemblies. This project is also coordinated with the Keladi Museum and Research Bureau of Kuvempu University, Shimoga District, which curates exhibitions and assists in the sharing of research between scholars in different disciplines. In addition to anticipated contributions to refereed journals and professional publications in North America and Europe, the author will make available results to the scientific community in South Asia. Furthermore, the author has trained and will continue to work with student and professional archaeologist volunteers in field methods of the North American scientific tradition.