Oral Traditions in Archaeological Practice: Insights from Neem Ka Thana Tehsil, Sikar District, Rajasthan

Shweta Sinha Deshpande* and Esha Prasad

History is deeply intertwined with memory, and memory is closely associated with local narratives and folk traditions. In Indian archaeology, from its very inception, local knowledge has played a significant role in the identification and discovery of sites. Terms such as timbo and magri, meaning the place of ancient habitation or an archaeological settlement, have contributed to the identification of archaeological sites. While Indian archaeology has depended on local knowledge their contribution is rarely acknowledged. Their knowledge has often been appropriated without recognition. The current paper based on an Archaeological Site Census conducted in the Neem ka Thana tehsil, Rajasthan aims to integrate local knowledge into archaeological practice. This paper examines how communities in a particular region associate archaeological sites with local narratives, and how they interpret and engage with the landscape through oral traditions. These associations include access to water sources, hillocks and peaks linked to temples and divine abodes, and site names connected to ancient practices that may no longer exist but continue to shape collective memory. A significant aspect of oral history in this region revolves around the Rajput clans, their origins and wars, emphasizing a sense of belonging and pride rooted in their warrior identity. While these narratives revolve around Rajput identity, they are often attached to archaeological sites that predate the Rajputs themselves. This process demonstrates how landscapes become ethnically and culturally embedded, with identity, memory, and heritage converging to define the relationship between populations, environment and landscape in the contemporary world.