Understanding the pattern and distribution of sculptural and architectural remains in the archaeological site of Kamakhya

Abstract

Kamakhya is one of the fifty-one Shakti-peetha (Goddess shrines) in India and is also known as a centre of Tantrism. A systematic archaeological survey was conducted on this archaeological site. GPS and categorical data were then incorporated into a GIS to analyse the composition and distribution of sculptures and architectural remains and to evaluate the results, limitations and future uses of the GIS analysis. Different series of GIS maps are created in order to provide visual representations of the site. The results indicate that out of 379 documented sculptures,180 (48%) are religious sculptures, 90 (50%) are Shakta and Saivite sculptures, 15 (8%) are Vaishnavite sculptures, 27 (15%) are Ganesha sculptures and 48 (27%) are other divine and semi-divine sculptures. The analytical presentation of these GIS maps, charts and tables, demonstrates that the highest concentrations of the sculptural and architectural fragments are observed in the northwest area of the site.

Introduction

Archaeological field survey is a long established technique for documenting surface remains of individual sites and regions. Information collected during field survey generates a valuable database for future studies. The growing use of precise tools for recording spatial locations (e.g., GPS, remote sensing), and their incorporation into Geographic Information Systems (GIS) provides useful methods for analysing survey data and integrating archaeological data with spatial and environmental information (Horobik, 2007). Spatial information is also known as geospatial data or geographic information and is stored in the form of coordinates that can be further used to create different sets of illustrative maps, interactive 3D models, and plots which can be analysed using a variety of quantitative and qualitative methods.

GIS analysis can easily define and map the geophysical characteristics of a site, such as its topographical features, boundary, and material culture distributions. Different sets of archaeological data collected throughout the survey are compiled into a GIS database with environmental and spatial information. Further, a GIS database itself works as a database management system, through which one can collect, retrieve, manipulate, analyse, store, and display data and their respective geographical locations (Kvamme, 1989). This information is displayed through the layers of maps, including both 2D and 3D maps and digital elevation models (DEM).

GIS applications are also used as an analytical tool for studying archaeological sites at different spatial scales without disturbing or causing any harm to the site (Rodning, 2010, p. 181). In India, many archaeologist and researchers have used GIS as an analytical tool for recording, documenting and analysing prehistoric as well as historic sites. Ota and Deo (2014) used GIS as one of the analytical tools for documenting the Acheulian site discovered at Tikoda, Madhya Pradesh and examining the distribution pattern of artefacts and their contexts as well as to understand the site formation process. Recently, the popularity of remote sensing and GIS in the field of archaeology has increased. There are many notable studies on the use of remote sensing and multi-sensor satellite data for understanding the evolution and migration of paleochannels in Northwest India. The role of GIS and remote sensing in the mapping of the ancient river Saraswati has gained popularity among researchers and scientists (Rajani and Kasturirangan, 2011, p. 3). Researchers have also used remote sensing and satellite data for examining the distribution of sites, especially of the Harappan period, found along the banks of these paleochannels (Rajani and Rajawat, 2011).

Other studies have focused on the analysis of the spatial organization of sacred sites and landscapes. Organizations like the RRSSC-B (Regional Remote Sensing Service Centre, Bangalore) have undertaken projects to document the historical temple site of Hampi in Karnataka and prepared an elaborative GIS database. The National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) undertook a similar kind of project for documentation and GIS mapping of the historical Buddhist site of Nalanda in Bihar (Rajani and Kasturirangan, 2011, p. 3). Other historical temple sites in India that have been documented, recorded and studied using remote sensing and GIS include Badami, Mahabalipuram, Talakadu, Sanchi and so on. The use of GIS and remote sensing is continuously growing and the incorporation of more sophisticated and advanced tools makes the archaeological site and its findings more interactive and informative.

This paper evaluates spatial data collected during the survey of the archaeological site of Kamakhya, a temple complex in western Guwahati, Assam. The GPS survey was performed not only to document the geophysical characteristics of the site, but also to document the existing art and architecture. The main focus of this paper is to examine the density and distribution of the sculptures and architectural remains with the help of the two databases generated during the survey. The first database is the spatial database and the second was generated through the documentation of the art and architecture at the site. The GIS database helps in situating and defining the second data set in geometrical space, providing a spatial identity to each and every cultural and material feature found at the site. This analysis will further aid in the study of the art and architecture and its composition and distribution at the archaeological site of Kamakhya temple through their visual representation in the GIS generated maps.