Carla Sinopoli

Carla Sinopoli

Information

Research Interests

Topical/Theoretical

  • Political economy
  • Craft production
  • Material culture
  • Archaeology of states and empires

Geographical

  • South Asia
  • Southeast Asia

Research Projects

Research Description

Carla Sinopoli's research focuses on complex societies and political economy in Southern India. She is currently co-directing a multi-year archaeological field project in the Tungabhadra River Valley of South India, focusing on emergent social and economic inequalities and the formation to territorial polities during the South India Iron Age (first millennium BC). Her prior work in the area included a 10-year systematic regional survey of the hinterland of the 14th-16th c AD imperial capital of Vijayanagara, where she focused particularly on examining the relations of imperial and temples institutions in the control and organization of craft production. As curator of the Museum of Anthropology's extensive collections from Asia, Sinopoli is conducting research and publishing on material culture and trade in South and Southeast Asian history and prehistory.