kaushik gangopadhyay | University of Calcutta (original) (raw)
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Papers by kaushik gangopadhyay
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry
We present the first measurement of bioavailable strontium (87Sr/86Sr) and lead (206Pb/204Pb, 207... more We present the first measurement of bioavailable strontium (87Sr/86Sr) and lead (206Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/204Pb, and 208Pb/204Pb) isotope ratios from five cattle bones and one soil sample from Erenda, a chalcolithic site in coastal east India. Bioavailable 87Sr/86Sr of bones differ from that of the soil. A similar Pb isotope ratios of bones to the soil indicates an insignificant diagenesis and local origin of the cattle. Our result suggests a potential influence of marine Sr in modifying the bioavailable 87Sr/86Sr ratio, although the current coastline is far from the site. The finding has implications in archaeological, geological, environmental and ecological research.
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 2015
ABSTRACT Total potassium content of archaeological artifacts like glass beads was determined by e... more ABSTRACT Total potassium content of archaeological artifacts like glass beads was determined by estimating the amount of 40K in the sample using Compton Suppression Spectroscopy which in turn unveiled the trading pattern in past through famous ancient silk route in the Bay of Bengal region. The developed technique neither involved any reactor/accelerator/X-ray source nor any chemical treatment of the samples. We analyzed eight different samples from Tamilnadu, India of which two samples showed elevated potassium content indicating their different origin. This is the first report to discriminate glass beads according to their potassium content, which ultimately helped to predict their origin.
Radiocarbon
This study is on the absolute age dating of a multicultural site of Erenda, East Medinipur distri... more This study is on the absolute age dating of a multicultural site of Erenda, East Medinipur district, in coastal West Bengal, India. Charcoal samples were collected and measured using the accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) facility at the Inter-University Accelerator Centre, New Delhi, India. These samples were collected from secured stratigraphic context of two excavated trenches. A careful collection of samples from two trenches provided us with the first calendar dates, 950 BCE and 1979 BCE, of protohistoric sites in coastal West Bengal. These calibrated calendar dates not only have wider significance in terms of archaeology but also methodological implications to understand the relevance of application of AMS from the dynamic coastal landscape in the humid tropics during the late Holocene period.
The Holocene
Integration of palaeobotanical (spores, pollen, phytoliths and non-pollen palynomorphs) and organ... more Integration of palaeobotanical (spores, pollen, phytoliths and non-pollen palynomorphs) and organic geochemical proxies, such as stable isotopes of organic carbon (δ13C) and n-alkanes, for studying the evolution and palaeoenvironmental conditions of an archaeological site are rare in India. The evolution of a protohistoric-historic site at Erenda, situated in the eastern coastal region of India, has been studied by using multiple palaeobotanical and organic geochemical proxies assisted with AMS radiocarbon dates. The excavated site lies above Late Pleistocene–Early Holocene Sijua Formation. The absence of anthropogenic evidence in the Sijua Formation likely indicates inhabitable conditions in nearshore/estuarine marshy conditions. The earliest human settlements at the excavation site begin during the first millennium BCE after the initiation of habitable conditions along the coast. The presence of fungal spores and the dominance of C4 phytolith morphotypes indicate prevailing warm a...
Geochemical study of pottery provides useful information on the source of the raw materials (clay... more Geochemical study of pottery provides useful information on the source of the raw materials (clay) of ancient vessels. However, published geochemical data on potteries from eastern coastal region of India is limited. Moreover, there are debates on the provenance of certain categories of fine ware, including the 'Rouletted ware', found in eastern coastal In-dia. The uncertainty about the provenance of the potteries is primarily due to the fact that geochemical/geological sources of clay used for manufacturing of potteries has till now never been taken into account. To address the issue, major element oxides and trace elements in potsherds collected from surface context at three sites situated along the east coast of India namely Chandraketugarh and Tamluk in West Bengal, and Arikamedu in Tamil Nadu have been analysed. Samples from each sherd was prepared as a homogenised powder, and major element oxides and trace elements was analysed using wave length Dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (WD-XRF). Further, the study drew on already published major element oxide data of ancient potteries and sediments from Tamil Nadu and the Ganga Plains to identify the source of clay. The result indicates that the potteries were made of clay derived from the weathering of felsic to intermediate rocks, which are abundant in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, but absent in West Bengal. The uniform geochemical character of the potteries collected from the geographically separated sites further implies that the potteries were manufactured using a single type of clay. It is likely that the potteries were manufactured at or close to the archaeological site in Arikamedu, and exported to the site in lower West Bengal such as Tamluk and Chandraketugarh.
Geochronometria, 2011
Archaeological studies in the upper and lower part of the Ganga-Bhaghrathi-Hugli delta were taken... more Archaeological studies in the upper and lower part of the Ganga-Bhaghrathi-Hugli delta were taken up to understand the nature of site formation and human adaptation in a dynamic fluvial zone. This aspect has been neglected in Indian archaeology. However archaeological dating using typological information, has an error margin of a couple of centuries and hence, is of limited use. We suggest that high resolution chronology using Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) and radiocarbon dating can be quite effective in the study of archaeology and human environment relationship in the Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta (GBD).
Geochronometria, 2011
Archaeological studies in the upper and lower part of the Ganga-Bhaghrathi-Hugli delta were taken... more Archaeological studies in the upper and lower part of the Ganga-Bhaghrathi-Hugli delta were taken up to understand the nature of site formation and human adaptation in a dynamic fluvial zone. This aspect has been neglected in Indian archaeology. However archaeological dating using typological information, has an error margin of a couple of centuries and hence, is of limited use. We suggest that high resolution chronology using Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) and radiocarbon dating can be quite effective in the study of archaeology and human environment relationship in the Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta (GBD).
Geochronometria, 2011
Archaeological studies in the upper and lower part of the Ganga-Bhaghrathi-Hugli delta were taken... more Archaeological studies in the upper and lower part of the Ganga-Bhaghrathi-Hugli delta were taken up to understand the nature of site formation and human adaptation in a dynamic fluvial zone. This aspect has been neglected in Indian archaeology. However archaeological dating using typological information, has an error margin of a couple of centuries and hence, is of limited use. We suggest that high resolution chronology using Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) and radiocarbon dating can be quite effective in the study of archaeology and human environment relationship in the Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta (GBD).
Geochronometria, 2011
Archaeological studies in the upper and lower part of the Ganga-Bhaghrathi-Hugli delta were taken... more Archaeological studies in the upper and lower part of the Ganga-Bhaghrathi-Hugli delta were taken up to understand the nature of site formation and human adaptation in a dynamic fluvial zone. This aspect has been neglected in Indian archaeology. However archaeological dating using typological information, has an error margin of a couple of centuries and hence, is of limited use. We suggest that high resolution chronology using Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) and radiocarbon dating can be quite effective in the study of archaeology and human environment relationship in the Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta (GBD).
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry
We present the first measurement of bioavailable strontium (87Sr/86Sr) and lead (206Pb/204Pb, 207... more We present the first measurement of bioavailable strontium (87Sr/86Sr) and lead (206Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/204Pb, and 208Pb/204Pb) isotope ratios from five cattle bones and one soil sample from Erenda, a chalcolithic site in coastal east India. Bioavailable 87Sr/86Sr of bones differ from that of the soil. A similar Pb isotope ratios of bones to the soil indicates an insignificant diagenesis and local origin of the cattle. Our result suggests a potential influence of marine Sr in modifying the bioavailable 87Sr/86Sr ratio, although the current coastline is far from the site. The finding has implications in archaeological, geological, environmental and ecological research.
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 2015
ABSTRACT Total potassium content of archaeological artifacts like glass beads was determined by e... more ABSTRACT Total potassium content of archaeological artifacts like glass beads was determined by estimating the amount of 40K in the sample using Compton Suppression Spectroscopy which in turn unveiled the trading pattern in past through famous ancient silk route in the Bay of Bengal region. The developed technique neither involved any reactor/accelerator/X-ray source nor any chemical treatment of the samples. We analyzed eight different samples from Tamilnadu, India of which two samples showed elevated potassium content indicating their different origin. This is the first report to discriminate glass beads according to their potassium content, which ultimately helped to predict their origin.
Radiocarbon
This study is on the absolute age dating of a multicultural site of Erenda, East Medinipur distri... more This study is on the absolute age dating of a multicultural site of Erenda, East Medinipur district, in coastal West Bengal, India. Charcoal samples were collected and measured using the accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) facility at the Inter-University Accelerator Centre, New Delhi, India. These samples were collected from secured stratigraphic context of two excavated trenches. A careful collection of samples from two trenches provided us with the first calendar dates, 950 BCE and 1979 BCE, of protohistoric sites in coastal West Bengal. These calibrated calendar dates not only have wider significance in terms of archaeology but also methodological implications to understand the relevance of application of AMS from the dynamic coastal landscape in the humid tropics during the late Holocene period.
The Holocene
Integration of palaeobotanical (spores, pollen, phytoliths and non-pollen palynomorphs) and organ... more Integration of palaeobotanical (spores, pollen, phytoliths and non-pollen palynomorphs) and organic geochemical proxies, such as stable isotopes of organic carbon (δ13C) and n-alkanes, for studying the evolution and palaeoenvironmental conditions of an archaeological site are rare in India. The evolution of a protohistoric-historic site at Erenda, situated in the eastern coastal region of India, has been studied by using multiple palaeobotanical and organic geochemical proxies assisted with AMS radiocarbon dates. The excavated site lies above Late Pleistocene–Early Holocene Sijua Formation. The absence of anthropogenic evidence in the Sijua Formation likely indicates inhabitable conditions in nearshore/estuarine marshy conditions. The earliest human settlements at the excavation site begin during the first millennium BCE after the initiation of habitable conditions along the coast. The presence of fungal spores and the dominance of C4 phytolith morphotypes indicate prevailing warm a...
Geochemical study of pottery provides useful information on the source of the raw materials (clay... more Geochemical study of pottery provides useful information on the source of the raw materials (clay) of ancient vessels. However, published geochemical data on potteries from eastern coastal region of India is limited. Moreover, there are debates on the provenance of certain categories of fine ware, including the 'Rouletted ware', found in eastern coastal In-dia. The uncertainty about the provenance of the potteries is primarily due to the fact that geochemical/geological sources of clay used for manufacturing of potteries has till now never been taken into account. To address the issue, major element oxides and trace elements in potsherds collected from surface context at three sites situated along the east coast of India namely Chandraketugarh and Tamluk in West Bengal, and Arikamedu in Tamil Nadu have been analysed. Samples from each sherd was prepared as a homogenised powder, and major element oxides and trace elements was analysed using wave length Dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (WD-XRF). Further, the study drew on already published major element oxide data of ancient potteries and sediments from Tamil Nadu and the Ganga Plains to identify the source of clay. The result indicates that the potteries were made of clay derived from the weathering of felsic to intermediate rocks, which are abundant in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, but absent in West Bengal. The uniform geochemical character of the potteries collected from the geographically separated sites further implies that the potteries were manufactured using a single type of clay. It is likely that the potteries were manufactured at or close to the archaeological site in Arikamedu, and exported to the site in lower West Bengal such as Tamluk and Chandraketugarh.
Geochronometria, 2011
Archaeological studies in the upper and lower part of the Ganga-Bhaghrathi-Hugli delta were taken... more Archaeological studies in the upper and lower part of the Ganga-Bhaghrathi-Hugli delta were taken up to understand the nature of site formation and human adaptation in a dynamic fluvial zone. This aspect has been neglected in Indian archaeology. However archaeological dating using typological information, has an error margin of a couple of centuries and hence, is of limited use. We suggest that high resolution chronology using Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) and radiocarbon dating can be quite effective in the study of archaeology and human environment relationship in the Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta (GBD).
Geochronometria, 2011
Archaeological studies in the upper and lower part of the Ganga-Bhaghrathi-Hugli delta were taken... more Archaeological studies in the upper and lower part of the Ganga-Bhaghrathi-Hugli delta were taken up to understand the nature of site formation and human adaptation in a dynamic fluvial zone. This aspect has been neglected in Indian archaeology. However archaeological dating using typological information, has an error margin of a couple of centuries and hence, is of limited use. We suggest that high resolution chronology using Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) and radiocarbon dating can be quite effective in the study of archaeology and human environment relationship in the Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta (GBD).
Geochronometria, 2011
Archaeological studies in the upper and lower part of the Ganga-Bhaghrathi-Hugli delta were taken... more Archaeological studies in the upper and lower part of the Ganga-Bhaghrathi-Hugli delta were taken up to understand the nature of site formation and human adaptation in a dynamic fluvial zone. This aspect has been neglected in Indian archaeology. However archaeological dating using typological information, has an error margin of a couple of centuries and hence, is of limited use. We suggest that high resolution chronology using Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) and radiocarbon dating can be quite effective in the study of archaeology and human environment relationship in the Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta (GBD).
Geochronometria, 2011
Archaeological studies in the upper and lower part of the Ganga-Bhaghrathi-Hugli delta were taken... more Archaeological studies in the upper and lower part of the Ganga-Bhaghrathi-Hugli delta were taken up to understand the nature of site formation and human adaptation in a dynamic fluvial zone. This aspect has been neglected in Indian archaeology. However archaeological dating using typological information, has an error margin of a couple of centuries and hence, is of limited use. We suggest that high resolution chronology using Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) and radiocarbon dating can be quite effective in the study of archaeology and human environment relationship in the Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta (GBD).