Dr. Mudit Trivedi

Biography

Mudit Trivedi is an archaeologist whose research interests encompass religious subjectivity, materiality, and craft within historical anthropology. His book project, 'Archaeology of Virtue,' considers the intersections of archaeology and conversion to Islam, stemming from a long-term project co-directed at a site in Indor, Rajasthan, North India. His work bridges archaeological and anthropological conceptualizations of tradition, delving into ethical relations and hierarchies in gendered pious practices through material media. By analyzing architectural and spatial datasets along with compositional elemental analyses, Mudit aims to rethink the secular commitments within archaeology and the nature of archaeological traces. Furthermore, he critically explores archaeology's disciplinary commitments to liberal values and legal infrastructures, particularly in the context of colonial Treasure Trove laws and their implications for archaeological practices in South Asia. His forthcoming publications will address archaeometric insights into social contexts surrounding the production and use of glass artifacts in South Asia, as well as the long-term settlement history of the Mewat region and theoretical challenges in studying historical religion and conversion. He has also co-edited a special issue of the Medieval History Journal focusing on 'Archaeologies of Medieval South Asia.'

Research Interests

Courses