Archaeology and Early History of Khas and Kiratas in the Sub-Himalayan Region, Sikkim

Hari Chandra Sharma and Saurabh Singh

The Khas and Kirata peoples are considered among the earliest societies to have influenced Sikkim's cultural development. By analysing archaeological findings, artefacts, and ethnographic studies from the Himalayas, the paper outlines settlement patterns, food acquisition methods, and social and cultural exchanges prevailing among them. The investigations in Sikkim and neighbouring Himalayan regions reveal the establishment of early farming and herding practices, migration routes, and technologies adapted to the mountainous environment. This paper investigates the evolving historical understandings of the Khas and Kiratas, examining their representation in Vedic, Puranic, and classical texts, and assessing these accounts in light of recent archaeological discoveries. By incorporating local oral traditions and landscape archaeology, the study provides a sophisticated insight into the role these ancient communities played in developing the region's cultural landscape. This opens a wider discussion concerning the early settlement of the Himalayas, intercultural interactions, and the development of distinct regional identities within the Eastern Himalayas.