NU leads research on Naga ancestral life

Seeking climate change mitigation strategies that could aid in providing food security in Nagaland, the Nagaland University (NU) is conducting archaeological research of Prehistoric Life of Naga communities.
The study, which covers Holocene and Anthropocene geological time periods, is a collaboration between Nagaland University, University of Sydney, La Trobe University, University of York and the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow, with support from Department of Art and Culture, Government of Nagaland.
To respect the heritage and traditional knowledge of Indigenous communities associated with Naga ancestral sites, the researchers are working with indigenous populations and actively engaging in community-based participatory research.
The core of the project is archaeology and palaeoclimate research towards establishing a basic understanding of the history of Naga life from earliest times to the recent past.
The team is studying two kinds of sites—Prehistoric sites where they hope to find clues to the pre-agricultural past and the Naga ancestral village sites, mostly lying beneath modern village settlements. This community-driven multi-disciplinary study is funded for four years (2025-2028) by the Australian Research Council, a Commonwealth organisation within the Australian Government.
The outcomes of the project will include targeted information for the communities in which the team works, a large number of scientific publications, and wide-ranging community dissemination of key recommendations for actions towards sustainability across Nagaland.
This project is being led by a team of researchers headed by Prof. Tiatoshi Jamir, Department of History and Archaeology, Nagaland University and includes Dr. Anil Pokharia, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Prof. Alison Betts, University of Sydney (Australia), Dr. Rebecca Hamilton – University of Sydney (Australia), Dr. Nicholas Fuller, University of Sydney (Australia), Dr. Michael Spate, La Trobe University (Australia), Dr. Hayley Saul, University of York (UK) and Dr. Oliver Craig – University of York (UK).
Elaborating on the importance of this research, Prof. Alison Betts, The University of Sydney, said they work with communities to uncover the deep history of their villages and to see how their food systems have changed through time. Prof. Betts said the study aims to identify any past adaptations they may have made to altered climatic conditions. “Using this knowledge and wider scientific studies, our research will include suggestions and advice that may assist Indigenous communities towards further adaptation in the face of an increasingly environmentally unstable future,” she explained.
Prof. Tiatoshi Jamir, Department of History and Archaeology, Nagaland University, further informed that they have already conducted a pilot study at the village of Langa (Shamator District).
Langa was abandoned at some point in the historical past and has only recently been reoccupied.
He said village elders provided their own oral history of the first establishment and the reasons for abandonment.
Prof. Tiatoshi disclosed that excavations have uncovered the remains of an earlier village settlement.
As part of their work targeted towards public outreach, he said they have produced a short community archaeology film documenting the traditional oral history of the village and the archaeology of this ancestral site with the collaborative efforts of the local communities of Langa, Kuthur, and Yimkhiung Tribal Council (YTC).
Prof. Tiatoshi informed that further study of a similar nature was also on-going at New Phor (Burakha), Meluri District with the support of the local community of New Phor and Pochury Hoho.
The project is a pioneering multi-disciplinary approach to the study of the past, community engagement, agriculture and sustainability. It is innovative and unique in its structure, but it may act as a model for similar work elsewhere.