Assess the importance of archaeological sources for the study of ancient Indian history?

Recently historians attach much importance to the coins as source materials for reconstruction of ancient Indian history. For, the study of coins reveals such information which no other source does. For example, the metal or alloy of metals used in the coins give us an idea about the advancement made in Metallurgy during the contemporary period.

Coins also throw light on the economic history. Distribution of coins is an indication that the economic activities under a particular king or kings had been extended to these areas. Again the coins in which names of kings have been mentioned enable us to know about the chronology of a ruling dynasty.

The Kushana kings had circulated different types of coins in which not only the name but also the year of accession has been mentioned. This has enabled us to fix the dates of various Kushana kings who ruled over India. The coins are a helpful in reconstruction the cultural history of a particular period.