It is well established that archaeology, as a field, is all about context. Analysis of any find has to take into account where in the stratigraphy it was found, the other finds that were near it, and where in the trench it was located, among other things. Context is always talked about in terms of the excavated material, but rarely is it talked about in terms of the circumstances surrounding the excavation itself. When looking at previous analyses of archaeological data, part of being critical of other people’s work is taking into account the political and social context of the writer. Despite assumptions that modern archaeology is more empirical and less susceptible to forces outside of modern scientific methods than early archaeological work, this is not necessarily the case. By looking at Cunningham’s archaeological surveys under British colonialism in India and more modern excavations at Ayodhya, I will explore how context has shaped the presentation and analysis of archaeological data in South Asia.