Tathagata Neogi

Personal details

Email:

tn241@exeter.ac.uk

Nationality:

Indian

Education

2012-present:

University of Exeter

MPhil/PhD in Archaeology

2008-2009:

University of Exeter

M.A. Archaeology

2005-2008:

Jadavpur University, India

B.A. (Hons.) History

 

Professional/research experience

January 2013 - March 2015:

PhD Fieldwork: Northern Telangana & Jharkhand, India

I have conducted extensive ethnographic fieldwork in rural Telangana to study local iron-working traditions as a part of my doctoral research. During three seasons of fieldwork, I have interviewed, recorded and observed the lives of rural blacksmiths and the descendants of iron-smelters and crucible steel makers in the region. Through genealogical, archaeological, archival, and ethnographic study, I have attempted to understand archaeological date of past iron-smelting technology and traced the gradual decline in their craft of iron-working and the transformation of the identity of the iron-working groups over the last 150 years. I have also conducted a short fieldwork to study indigenous Asur iron-smelters of Jharkhand. A smelting was attempted with their help in May 2013.


August 2012:

Megalithic Burial Survey in Karimnagar, India

Volunteer in archaeological survey of megalithic burials in Karimnagar District of Northern Andhra Pradesh (July 2012)

December 2011 - June 2012:

Kerala Council for Historical Research, Trivandrum, India

Research Assistant at Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR), Trivandrum forPattanam Excavations (December 2011-May 2012). The responsibilities include editing field reports and working as a Trench Supervisor for 2012 Excavation Season.

January 2011 - November 2011:

Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage

I have been contacted by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH)in August 2010 and was invited to lead the West Bengal Heritage Survey 2011 Project. The objectives of this project is to survey around 200 built heritage sites in South Bengaland submit a detailed condition report. The West Bengal Government will then initiateconservation work based on our report. As team leader of this project I am responsible forframing the budget required, assembling a team of experts, as well as recruitingvolunteers and direct work in the field. I am also responsible for completion of alldocumentation. The project is an eight month exercise i.e., from January-August 2011. The project objectives are successfully fulfilled and a total number of 677 sites wereidentified instead of original target of 200. As a result, an extension has been granted tofinish up the report writing process by November 2011.

January 2010 - November 2011:

UKIERI Pioneering Metallurgy

Team member of UKIERI Pioneering Metallurgy 2010-11 archaeological survey projectinNorthern Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh, India.During the field work I was responsible for the ethnomatallurgy element of the survey which included interviewingtraditional blacksmiths and rural elders about their memory of past iron working,recording the working dynamics of the traditional blacksmiths of the region and studyingthe social hierarchies, cult activities and taboos related to iron working. Presently I amcontinuing to contribute to post-survey data collation work with the UKIERI PioneeringMetallurgy Project, with special responsibility for the ethno-metallurgical survey.

 

CV: Membership of Professional Bodies/Professional Qualifications

2013-present:

Historical Metallurgy Society, UK

Student Member


2012-2015:

International Committee for Intangible Cultural Heritage, ICOMOS-India

Member of the national committee which is committed in recording and conservation of intangible cultural heritage of India.


2012-2015:

International Council on Monuments and Sites--India Chapter

Young Professional Member