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

在卡拉·m·西诺波里博士的指导下，伊丽莎白·布里奇斯将在中世纪南亚维贾亚那加拉帝国（约1330 -公元17年）的地区首府克拉迪和伊克克里进行考古调查和分析数据。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，它们被一个地区政体作为首都，该政体根据帝国宪章进行统治。布里奇斯的研究重点是对今天地表上可见的考古遗迹进行系统的调查和记录。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、前工业加工区、人工制品集中地、水管理和农业特征。这些位于中世纪较大的城市和郊区的地点通过GPS、照片、手绘地图和书面描述被记录下来。陶器（本地陶器和进口瓷器、釉瓷）、磨石、金属制品、硬币等文物将被收集起来进行分析。关注前现代帝国地区首都的研究很重要，因为它有助于我们理解这些扩张主义大国是如何出现、发展、运作和崩溃的。许多对帝国国家的研究都集中在核心首都地区，而忽略了对外围地区的研究，而这些地区是大多数著名帝国公认的中央集权繁荣的基础。该项目通过记录在中央皇权下运作的两个区域中心的定居点，有助于研究帝国的动态。记录这些遗址中代表政治、军事、经济和社会活动的特征和文物的存在、位置和可变性，可以对地区定居点本身进行比较，也可以对地区定居点与帝国首都之间进行比较，从而可以研究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本质。除了为社会科学研究问题做出贡献外，该项目还将通过公共宣传和南亚及其他地区学术界的工作，通过加强对印度考古科学的理解，产生更广泛的影响。在Keladi和Ikkeri周边地区，通过面对面的互动、公开会议以及与村议会分享报告和出版物，公众已经并将继续意识到纪念碑和较小遗址的文化意义。该项目还与克拉迪博物馆和下志区库文普大学研究局协调，后者策划展览并协助不同学科的学者之间分享研究成果。除了预期向北美和欧洲的评审期刊和专业出版物投稿外，作者还将向南亚的科学界提供成果。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一起工作，使用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.