A major archaeological source which gives valuable and authentic historical information is monuments. Buildings, including temples, statues, pottery etc., come under this category. These are more significant from the cultural point of view compared to the political point of view. Moreover, these also mirror the economic situations of the country. Monuments are of two kinds- Indian and Foreign. As regard to Indian monuments, they provide very constructive principle in the restructurisation of the history of ancient India. Archaeological excavations in the Northeastern part of India have brought to light the remains of a highly developed urban civilization in ancient India. The excavations of Harappa, Mohenjodaro, Kalibangan, Lothal and Taxila have furnished pretty valuable and authentic historical discoveries, which were so far unknown to the world. The discovery of the Indus Valley Civilisation has established the existence of a civilisation preceding the Aryans. The excavations of Taxila have generated a lot of information about the Kushans and the Gandhara School of Art. The wooden remains found in the excavations of Pataliputra depicts that in the prehistoric period, the use of wood was more popular and furnishes constructive historical material about the Mauryans. Yet another substantial source are the exquisite paintings on the caves of Ajanta. The Copper Statue of Buddha in Nalanda, Bricks Temple in Kanpur district and Rock Temple in Jhansi district, are some of the instances, which reverberate the progression of art and culture in ancient India.

Besides this, monuments in foreign countries have also proved helpful in restructuring the history of prehistoric India. The illustrations of the development of Indian art and culture are seen in Java, Sumatra and Cambodia The Angkor-Vat in Cambodia, Borobodur and Shiva temples of `Dhinda Pathra` in Java are evidences that Indians had founded colonies in these places. A temple and some statues discovered in Malaya confirm that the dwellers of this place were Hindus and worshipped Shiva, Parvati, Ganesh and Nandi. Same is the case with the islands Bali and Borneo. These things are authentications of the fact that in prehistoric India, the country was very sophisticated in art and culture and had founded its colonies in far-off countries.