Dear Colleague,
You are aware that Indian Museum, Kolkata is going to organize the 6th International Congress of Society of South Asian Archaeology in collaboration with Society of South Asian Archaeology (SOSAA) and All India Digambar Jain Heritage Preservation Organization, New Delhi from 16th to 18th March, 2018. The first circular has already been dispatched in this regard. We shall be organizing a special session focusing on Archaeology of Eastern India, Rakhigarhi, and spread of Jainism in South Asia and beyond, during the course of the Congress.

Kolkata
Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) is the second largest city in India, and is the capital of the state of West Bengal. According to the earliest written records, the city was founded in 1698, and served as the capital of British India till 1911. The 'City of Joy' holds a special place in the political, cultural, and economic histories of the sub-continent. It is one of the metropolitan cities of India which has held on to its quintessential classical charm despite modernization. Kolkata is still considered to be the breeding ground of ideas in the fields of art, literature, cinemas, and theatre.
Kolkata is located along the east bank of the Hooghly River, and sits within the lower Ganges Delta of eastern India. The city spreads over 1,886.67 sq. km. and comprises 3 municipal corporations, 39 municipalities and 24 panchayat samities.


Reaching Kolkata

By Air
The Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport is situated at Dumdum, which is about 17 kilometers away from the heart of the city. This airport has good connectivity across major cities in India and abroad. From the airport you can hire a taxi or a bus to your final destination.
Kolkata is located along the east bank of the Hooghly River, and sits within the lower Ganges Delta of eastern India. The city spreads over 1,886.67 sq. km. and comprises 3 municipal corporations, 39 municipalities and 24 panchayat samities.


By Train
Kolkata has an efficient network of railways and is well linked to cities across the country. Superfast trains such as Rajdhani Express and Shatabdi Express connect Kolkata from Delhi and nearby places. There are two major railway stations in the city - one is located in Howrah and the other at Sealdah.

For details about trains passing through either Howrah or Sealdah, please log on to the link:
https://www.cleartrip.com/trains/stations/KOAA

Road/Self Drive
Kolkata is connected with most of the Indian cities by road. The National Highway Nos. 2 and 6, connect the city with other cities and states in India. Kolkata has a broad network of government and private buses. The Calcutta State Transport Corporation (CSTC), Calcutta Tramways Company (CTC), and West Bengal Surface Transport Corporation (WBSTC) run regulars bus service in the city. The Esplanade Terminus in the heart of the city is the main bus terminus.

The weather of Kolkata in February is expected to be pleasant. The delegates are requested to bring normal warm-clothing. We would appreciate your full co-operation to ensure a smooth, successful and productive Conference.

Reception

Our Reception Desk will be active from 15th March morning to 16th March afternoon. Delegates can send in their delegation fee as a Demand Draft in the favor of Director, Indian Museum, Kolkata. Delegates are advised to keep a photocopy of their DD and bring it with them for any reference

Delegation/Registration Fee:

Non South Asian Delegates: Rs. 3000/-
South Asian Delegates: Rs. 1500/-
Local Delegates (people who do not need accommodation): Rs. 800/-
Students: Rs. 500/-
Annual Membership SOSAA (on the spot): Rs. 1000/-
Please note that the fees shall remain the same for any person who is accompanying the delegates for the Congress.

Important Note: Departmental invites of Director, Indian Museum, Kolkata are exempted from the Delegation fees and they will be provided Travel allowances.

Other Important Points to note:

• 1st March 2018- Date for submission of the papers
• Meals will be served at the venue of the session starting from 15th March until the breakfast on 19th March.
• Transport from the delegates' places of stay to the venue of the session will be provided in the morning and back after dinner.
• Protohistoric and Early Historic Archaeology

Further Points to be Noted

The last date of submission of abstract for paper/poster: February 15, 2018
Notification Date for acceptance of paper presentation/poster: February 20, 2018
Closing date for paper submission: March 10, 2018
We strongly encourage the submission of abstract and full papers to sosaaindia@gmail.com
Please include your name, full address and conference topic on all submissions.
If you have already sent your completed Registration form, kindly intimate us about your travel itinerary (Date and time of Arrival, Date and time of Departure and mode of travel). Those who do not intimate their travel plan they may not get transport facility

Contact Address and Phone Number of Conveners:
Prof Vasant Shinde, (General Secretary, SOSAA),Vice-Chancellor, Deccan College, Deemed to be University Pune-411006, India. vasant.shinde@dcpune.ac.in	Dr. Rajesh Purohit, Director, Indian Museum, Kolkata-700016 indianmuseumkolkata@gmail.com	Shri Nirmal Kumar Jain Sethi, President, All India Digamber Jain Heritage Preservation Organization, New Delhi

Co-ordinators

Co-ordinators
Dr. Shrikant Ganvir, Assistant Secretary, SOSAA, c/o Deccan College (Deemed to be University), Pune-411006, India. E-mail: shrikant.ganvir@dcpune.ac.in Mobile: 0962321922	Dr.Sayan Bhattacharya, Education Officer, Indian Museum, Kolkata-7000016, India. E-mail: educationofficerim@gmail.com Mobile:09830338673	Mr. Surendra Kumar Jain, All India Digamber Jain Heritage Preservation Organization (AIDJHPO) E-mail: surendrafe257@gmail.com Mobile:+91 9007011055 +91 9836451579

Registration Form

Thank You

On behalf of the organizing committee, we warmly invite archaeologists, historians, social scientists, anthropologists and scholars working on topics related to History/Archaeology Anthropology of South Asia to participate in the 6th International Congress of Society of South Asian Archaeology (SOSAA). This important event will be held in the Indian Museum, Kolkata, from 16th to 18th March 2018. It will be organized by the Indian Museum, Kolkata, Ministry of Culture, Government of India in collaboration with the Society of South Asian Archaeology (SOSAA) and All India Digamber Jain Heritage Preservation Organization, New Delhi

The SOSAA brings Archaeologists, Historians, Anthropologists, Social Scientists, Archaeological Scientists etc. on one platform to discuss some of the common issues related to population movement, culture interaction, trade exchange, impact of climate on cultures, social formation etc. This will provide an opportunity to exchange data, ideas and insights into new discoveries made in the last couple of years in South Asia. So far, the studies in Archaeology and History are mostly carried out on individual basis in South Asia but perhaps a better and complete picture may emerge only if all of us work together as a team and the intended research is extended to other countries of South Asia. The South Asian countries, including Iran share a common cultural heritage and we will not get proper perspective if they are studied in isolation.
The previous five conferences of SOSAA were highly successful because of direct interaction and dialogue between scholars from various South Asian Countries including Iran and South Korea. The SOSAA and the All India, Digamber Jain Heritage Preservation Organization take this opportunity to thank the authorities of the Indian Museum to organize 6th International Congress of SOSAA at the Indian Museum in Kolkata from 16-18 March 2018. We expect large gathering of scholars and students, who will not only discuss the current research issues but also chalk out future course of action. On behalf of these three organizations we are looking forward to welcoming you to Kolkata.
The second circular of the 6th International Congress of SOSAA will be issued by the Indian Museum, Kolkata, shortly, in which you will find details about the Registration fee, accommodation, etc.

Important Dates:
5th January 2018- Opening date for submission of paper and poster abstracts
31stJanuary 2018- Closing date for submission of paper and poster abstracts
5th February 2018- Notification date for acceptance of presentation of paper/ poster
1st March 2018- Date for submission of the papers

Provisional Broad Topics
• Prehistory
• Physical Anthropology
• Environmental Archaeology
• Protohistoric and Early Historic Archaeology
• Settlement Archaeology
• Maritime Archaeology
• Architecture and Art History
• Epigraphy and Numismatics
• Heritage Management and Conservation
• Ancient Technology and Computer Application
• Museum Studies and Development
• Archaeology of Religion
• Archaeology of Indian Ocean Interaction Sphere
• Folklore and Ethnology
• Special sessionsfocusing on Archaeology of Eastern India, Rakhigarhi and Spread of Jainism in South Asia and Beyond Guidelines for Authors

• Papers are invited on the topics outlined. Abstract texts of not more than 350 words should clearly mention the research problem, methodology and expected results.
• Submission of abstracts on this email: sosaaindia@gmail.com
• Please include your name, full address and conference topic on all submissions.
• Posters should not be larger than 0.6m x 0.9m (A1) in size and preferably in portrait
format.
• You are requested to contact only the coordinators for any clarification or assistance.

Conveners
Prof Vasant Shinde, (General Secretary, SOSAA),Vice-Chancellor, Deccan College, Deemed to be University Pune-411006, India.	Dr. Rajesh Purohit, Director, Indian Museum, Kolkata-700016	Shri Nirmal Kumar Jain Sethi, President, All India Digamber Jain Heritage Preservation Organization, New Delhi

E-mail: vasant.shinde@dcpune.ac.in (Prof. Shinde)
E-mail: indianmuseumkolkata@gmail.com (Dr. Purohit)

Co-ordinators

Co-ordinators
Dr. Shrikant Ganvir, Assistant Secretary, SOSAA, c/o Deccan College (Deemed to be University), Pune-411006, India. E-mail: shrikant.ganvir@dcpune.ac.in Mobile: 0962321922	Dr.Sayan Bhattacharya, Education Officer, Indian Museum, Kolkata-7000016, India. E-mail: educationofficerim@gmail.com Mobile:09830338673

Dear Colleague,
You are aware the Directorate Culture and Archaeology, Govt. of Chhattisgarh is going to organize the 5th International Congress of Society of South Asian Archaeology (SOSAA) in collaboration with SoS in Anthropology, Pt. Ravi Shankar Shukla University, Raipur, from 15th to 18th February, 2014. The First circular has already been dispatched in this regard. We are also organizing one special session on the Archaeology of Chhattisgarh during the International Congress.

Chhattisgarh

Chhattisgarh is a state in Central India. It is the 10th largest state in India, with an area of 135,190 km (52,200 sq miles). With a population of 25.5 million, Chhattisgarh is the 16th mostpopulated state of the nation. The state was formed on 1 November 2000 by bifurcating 16 Chhattisgarhi-speaking south-eastern districts of erstwhile Madhya Pradesh. Raipur is the capital of Chhattisgarh. This state is endowed with a rich cultural heritage and attractive natural diversity. The state is full of ancient monuments, rare wildlife, exquisitely carved temples, Buddhist sites, palaces, water falls, caves, rock paintings and hill plateaus. Most of these sites are untouched and unexplored and offer a unique and alternate experience to tourists, in comparison to traditional tourists destinations which have become overcrowded.

In ancient times, this region was known as Dakshin-Kosal. This area also finds mention in Ramayana and Mahabharata. Between the sixth and twelfth centuries, Sarabhpurias, Panduavanshi, Somvanshi, Kalachuri and Nagvanshi rulers dominated this region.


Reaching Raipur

Almost the entire railway network spreads over the state comes under the geographical jurisdiction of the South East Central Railway Zone of Indian Railways. Raipur Railway station is connected directly to all four metros and major cities of India. For details about trains passing through Raipur Railway Station, please log on to the link: http://www.cleartrip.com/trains/stations/r. A help desk will be there at Platform No. 1 to assist the delegates.

The weather of Raipur in February will be pleasant. The delegates are requested to bring normal warm-clothing. We would appreciate your full co-operation to ensure a smooth, successful and productive Conference.

Reception

Our Reception Desk will be active from the morning of 14th February 2014 to 15th February afternoon. Delegates can send in their delegation fee as a Demand Draft in the favor of Commissioner, Directorate of Culture and Archaeology, Raipur. Delegates are advised to keep a photocopy of their DD and bring it with them for any reference.

Delegation/Registration Fee:
Non South Asian Delegates: Rs 4000
South Asian Delegates: Rs. 2000
Local Delegates (people who do not need accommodation): Rs. 1000
Any accompanying person with Non South Asian delegates Rs, 4000; with South Asian delegates Rs. 2000 and local delegates Rs.1000

Important Note: Departmental invites of Directorate of Culture and Archaeology, Raipur are exempted from the Delegation fees and they will be provided Travel allowances.

Important Points to note:

1. Accommodation in Raipur will be provided by the organizers from the afternoon on 14th February till the forenoon of 19th February 2014. Delegates should ensure that they check out latest by 8 am on 19th February 2014.

2. Meals will be served at the venue of the session starting from 14th February 2013 until the breakfast on 19st February 2014.

3. Transport from the delegates' places of stay to the venue of the session will be provided in the morning and back after dinner.

We strongly encourage the submission of abstract and full papers through these emails: deptt.culture@gmail.com, deptt_culture@yahoo.co.in, write@sosaa.org and sosaaindia@gmail.com.

Please include your name, full address and conference topic on all submissions.

If you have already sent your Registration form, duly filled in, kindly intimate us about your travel itinerary (Date and time of Arrival, Date and time of Departure and mode of travel). Two help desks in association with Tourist Information Centre (TIC), Govt. of Chhattisgarh have been set in Platform no 1, Raipur Jn Railway station and at the arrival lounge at the Raipur Airport from 14th February, 2014 morning to 15th February, 2014 afternoon. Please refer to these help desks for your local transport after your arrival. Those who do not intimate their travel plan they may not get transport facility.

Contact Address and Phone Number of convener

1. Rahul Kumar Singh, Convener
Deputy Director, Directorate of Culture and Archaeology,
MGM Museum, Civil Lines, Raipur, Chhattisgarh
Mobile: 09425227484
Office: 0771-2537404, Tele Fax: 0771-2234731

Contact Address and Phone Numbers of Organizing Secretaries

1. Porf.Arun Kumar
SoS in Anthropology, Pt.Ravi Shankar Shukla University, Raipur.
Mobile: 09755275425

2. Dr. Shivakant Bajpai
(Local Secretary for Accommodation & Logistic support)
Archaeological Officer
Directorate of Culture and Archaeology,
MGM Museum, Civil Lines, Raipur, Chhattisgarh
Mobile:- 9425520349
Contact : 0771-2537404,
Tele Fax: 0771-2234731
Email: bshiva.shiva@gmail.com

Registration Form

On behalf of the organizing committee, we warmly invite all archaeologists and scholars working on topics related to Archaeology of South Asia to participate in the 5th International Congress of Society of South Asian Archaeology. This important event will be held in Directorate of Culture and Archaeology, Govt. Of Chhattisgarh, Raipur from 18th to 22nd of February, 2014.

It will be organized by Directorate of Culture and Archaeology, Govt. Of Chhattisgarh in collaboration with the Department of Anthropology, Pandit Ravi Shankar Shukla University, Raipur and the Society of South Asian Archaeology (SOSAA).
The main aim of SOSAA is to bring Archaeologists, Historians, Anthropologists and other Archaeological Scientists of South Asia on one platform so that some of the common issues related to population movement, culture, trade exchange and impact of climate on cultures can be meaningfully discussed. This will provide an opportunity to exchange data, ideas and insights into new discoveries made in the last couple of years in South Asia. So far the studies in Archaeology and History are mostly carried out on individual country basis in South Asia but perhaps a more better and complete picture may supposedly be achieved if the intended research is extended to the other countries of South Asia, because these countries share a common interlocking cultural heritage. The previous four conferences of SOSAA were highly successful because of direct interaction and dialogue between scholars from various South Asian Countries.


Important Dates:
1st September, 2013- Submissions of paper and poster abstracts open
31st October, 2013- Submissions of paper and poster abstracts closes

Provisional Topics

· Prehistory
· Physical Anthropology
· Environmental Archaeology
· Proto and Early History
· Settlement Archaeology
· Maritime Archaeology
· Industrial Archaeology
· Art History
· Ancient Architecture
· Epigraphy
· Heritage Management and Conservation
· Ancient Technology and Computer Application
· Museum Studies and Development
· Religion
· Trade
· Folklore and Ethnology
· Special session focusing on Archaeology of Chhattisgarh Guidelines for Authors
· Papers are invited on the topics outlined. Abstract texts of not more than 500 words should clearly mention the research problem and ethodology and expected results.
· We strongly encourage the submission of abstracts through these emails: write@sosaa.org and sosaaindia@gmail.com
· Please include your name, full address and conference topic on all submissions.
· Posters should be no larger than 0.6m x 0.9m (A1) in size and should be in portrait format.

workshop on "Water management, Past and Future- an Archaeological Perspective"

Society of South Asian Archaeology is happy to announce the workshop on "Water management, Past and Future- an Archaeological Perspective" aimed at generating awareness regarding water management, water related standardizations, share knowledge and best practices, diffuse needed solutions and to learn from ancient water management technologies - to be held in the Department of Archaeology, Deccan College Postgraduate and Research Institute, Pune on 13th October, 2012 from 10am to 5pm.

1st circular of 4th International Congress of SOSAA

We are pleased to announce the upcoming event of SOSAA, the 4th International Congress to be held in the Archaeological Sciences Research Center (ASRC) of University of Sistan and Baluchestan (USB), Zahedan, IRAN, from 15 to 17 April 2012. This Congress is open for all SOSAA life members only. Please refer to the following link for further details.

Prof. Vasant Shinde
General Secretary
SOSAA

Second Circular

The Centre for Asian studies, University of Kelaniya is looking forward to meeting you in Sri Lanka for the 3rd International Congress of the Society of South Asian Archaeology (SOSAA) to be held from 20th -21st August 2010 followed by a post-conference tour to major archaeological sites of Sri Lanka on the 22nd - 23rd August 2010.

Kindly make your own arrangements to reach Colombo on 19th or early 20th August, whilst you may remain in Sri Lanka until the 24th or 25th of August. In case any delegate wishes to come early or stay longer they are requested to make their own arrangements for those days, however we will help in every possible ways till you are here with us in Sri Lanka.

We will arrange for our volunteers to meet you at the Colombo International Airport and they will provide you with assistance to reach your respective accommodation. If we are unable to make this arrangement, we will advise all the delegates in advance. In which case, one can use the pre-paid taxi service of the airport costing around 1500 Sri Lankan rupees to reach the Colombo city or the University. The University is located at Kelaniya, in the suburbs of Colombo about 30 km south of the airport and 9 km north of the city centre. It is about 45 minutes drive during normal traffic hours. The Conference will commence at 9.30 am on 20th August 2010. After the inaugural ceremony, three or four parallel academic sessions will be held till about 5.30 pm on both days. Some of you can visit the National Museum, Department of Archaeological Survey, Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology and other interesting places during the conference days as time permits.

We further invite all the delegates to join us for the post-conference tour to the heritage cities of Sri Lanka. On Tour day 1 (22nd August) we will travel up to Polonnaruva, the medieval capital city of the Island via Kandy and Sigiriya. On Tour day 2 (23rd August), we will visit Anuradhapura, the first capital city of ancient Sri Lanka, where will also spend the night. We plan on leaving Anuradhapura on the 24th afternoon for Colombo or to the Airport directly as the case may be, the drive from Anuradhapura to Colombo is about 6 hours.

We will do our best to arrange the post-conference tour free of charge, but in case of certain constraints, we may have to charge a reasonable amount of 1000 Sri Lankan rupees from each delegate in addition to the registration fee (specified in our earlier circular).

Looking forward to seeing you and having a successful conference with you in Sri Lanka.

Prof. Anura Manatunga
Director/ Centre for Asian Studies
University of Kelaniya
Convener/ SOSAA 3

Dear SOSAA Members,

We are happy to announce that Sri Lanka has agreed to hold the Third Congress of The Society of South Asian Archaeology. It will be held in the Department of Archaeology, Kelaniya University, Colombo, Sri Lanka from 20 to 22 August 2010. Dr. Anura Mangtunga will be the Local Coordinator of the Congress. You will shortly receive an official invitation from the host organization.

This Congress is open only for the SOSAA members. Those who wish to participate in this Congress are requested to register for Life Membership. The membership form can be obtained from the undersigned. The Life Membership fee for Indian nationals is Rs. 2000 and for foreign nationals is USD 300. Please note that the Life Membership fee of SOSAA will be increased to Rs. 3000 and USD $500 for Indian nationals and foreign nationals respectively from June 2010. I am sorry for the delay in publishing the Ancient Asia 2 ( the official Journal of the SOSAA), which will be available in March 2010.

Looking forward to seeing you in Colombo in August 2010.

Prof. Vasant Shinde
General Secretary
Society of South Asian Archaeology
write@sosaa.org

Our local organizers will soon make an announcement on the further proceedings of the Congress.

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

3rd International Congress of the Society of South Asian Archaeology (SOSAA)20-22 August 2010, Sri Lanka.

The 3rd International Congress of the Society of South Asian Archaeology (SOSAA) will be held on 20-22 August 2010 at the Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. The theme of the congress is The Island and the Mainland to specify mutual relations between Sri Lanka and the peninsular, though any paper pertaining to South Asian studies based on recent researches of our members from the field of History, Archaeology, Ethnography and Anthropology will also be considered. We would like to invite you to submit 250 words abstract of your paper before 25th April 2010 and acceptance of abstracts will be announced case by case until 15th May 2010. Abstracts should be submitted electronically to sosaa3@gmail.com with a copy to sosaa.srilanka@gmail.com and sosaaindia@gmail.com with a short bio-data not more than one page.

We regret that we are not in a position to pay any travel expenses to you, but your food and lodging during the Congress will be provided. Kindly note, due to unavoidable circumstances we would be levying a nominal registration fees for the Congress and payment of the same in cash can be done at the Congress venue on arrival on 20th August 2010.

As the conference is restricted only for members, we would like to invite other interested persons to become members, at last at the registration desk on 20th August in Sri Lanka

Details on the Post Congress tour will be announced in the Second circular. For all the future updates and announcements please visit the website www.sosaa.org and in case of any queries regarding the Congress write to us at sossa3@gmail.com or sosaaindia@gmail.com

Important Deadlines :
Submission of Abstract: 25 April, 2010
Congress Registration: 20 August 2010

Prof. Anura Manatunga
Convener