Archaeology in India

Archaeology in India by James Fergusaon is an interesting study which seeks to re-examine the findings of Rajendra Lal Mitra and General Cunningham. The author is bitter in his criticism of others, both for their views and the method of their investigations. The author maintains in these pages that the Indians employed wood for all their architectural purposes in early times. But to his earlier suggestion that it was not till the indians came in contact with the Greeks and other nations that they thought of employing stone for architectural purposes he makes certain modifications. "Though changing the material it remained throughout a purely indigeneous art, without any trace of Egyptian or of classical art ; nor can it be affirmed that it borrowed anything directly from Babylonia or Assyria. There is nowhere in architectural history any example where we can find a style so thouroughly local and original. Nor do I know any style that was so little influenced or so little interfered with any foreign architectural in fluence." The work is divided under heads Introduction-Personal ; Katak Caves ; Bhuvaneswara ; Buddha Gaya and Brindabun. The two appendices are very informative.