REMINISCENCES OF AN ARCHAEOLOGIST

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Archaeology is a multi-disciplinary study involving various sciences, technology and humanities. The discoveries made by archaeologists have brought to light hitherto unknown achievements of the ancient peoples all over the world. For instance, the discovery of Harappa and Mohenjodaro pushed back the history of India by 2500 years. Similarly, the recent discovery and excavation of Lothal by the author of the book not only added a new province to the Indus Empire but also highlighted the maritime activities of the Indus people and their engineering skill in building the first tidal dock of the world at Lothal in Gujarat. Another achievement of archaeology in India has been the author?s discovery of Dwarka which was submerged in the Arabian Sea, thereby transforming mythology into history. Dr. S.R. Rao, the author of the book, narrates his experience in making thrilling discoveries at Lothal and Dwarka and the difficulties he had to face in achieving his goal. Apart from the excavations, Rao has struggled relentlessly to save the ancient monuments of India, especially those of Aihole, Pattadakal and Badami. He tells in his own words how he elicited the co-operation of the public in conserving ancient art and architecture. Rao?s passion for archaeology is tremendous. After thirty years of research, he was able to decode the Indus script and identify its language which he has demonstrated by establishing the First Alphabet Gallery of Indus Script at Tirupati. The book is a journey across India through his experiences, insights, suggestions and advice which all archaeologists, historians and sociologists must read. It is an anthology in its own way and a valuable book for all who have a passion for the art, history and culture of India and hope to preserve its heritage and traditions.\n\n

Dr. Shikaripura Ranganatha Rao (S.R. Rao), born in 1922, was educated in Mysore and Nagpur Universities. He was awarded D. Litt. for his book, Lothal and the Indus Civilization. He discovered 50 sites of Indus civilisation and excavated Rangpur and Lothal, the latter a Harappan port. Among other excavations undertaken by him, Amreli, an early historic site, Paiyampalli, a Neolithic-Megalithic settlement and Hampi, Capital of Vijayanagar, are important. After serving the Archaeological Survey of India for 32 years (1948-1980), Dr. Rao was appointed Emeritus Scientist (1981-1995) and Adviser (1996-97) in the National Institute of Oceanography, Goa. Dr. Rao introduced Marine Archaeology, a new discipline, and directed underwater excavation of Dwarka in the Arabian Sea and Poompuhar in the Bay of Bengal. He was awarded the World Ship Trust Award, the F.I.E. Foundation Award and Gupta Foundation Award for individual excellence in Marine Archaeology. Along with other achievements of Dr. Rao, mention should be made of his decipherment of the Indus script for which he was awarded Jawaharlal Nehru fellowship. He is the Chairman of the International Centre for Indian Art and Cultural Studies, also the President of the Society for Marine Archaeology and an elected member of the UNESCO sponsored ICOMOS International Committee on Underwater Cultural Heritage. He is the author of Lothal and the Indus Civilization, Lothal ? A Port Town, Dawn and Devolution of the Indus Civilization, New Frontiers of Archaeology, Progress and Prospects of Marine Archaeology in India, and Traditional Paintings of Karnataka.

S.R. Rao

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