An overview of previous historical and archaeological work in the Maldives

This chapter reviews historical and archaeological work carried out in the Maldives to date. Historical sources relating to this archipelago are varied in detail and in quality, and come from a wide range of authors, of Indian, Sri Lankan, Classical, Chinese, Persian, Arab, and European origin. Archaeological work has, in contrast, been extremely limited. Most research has focused on standing remains associated with Buddhist belief; most has been unsystematic and poorly contextualised and the resulting accounts largely descriptive. Much more extensive and promising were excavations at the reputed Buddhist site of Kaashidhoo, but these have only been summarily published. Recent work has also included valuable recording, mapping and modelling of standing remains and artefacts in the context of rapid deterioration.