Two Days International Seminar on ‘Recent Trends in Indian Archaeology’ to Begin Tomorrow
Aligarh : The Centre of Advanced Study, Department of History, Aligarh Muslim University, is organizing a two-day International Seminar on “The Recent Trends in Indian Archaeology”, on 25th-26th September, 2023.
“The significance of the seminar, which is sponsored by the Indian Council of Historical Research, New Delhi, is deeply rooted in the institution’s rich heritage, as Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, founder of the institution had meticulously documented Delhi’s archaeology and historical monuments as early as 1846 in his renowned Urdu work “Asar al-Sanadid” (The Remains of the Past). It has played a pivotal role in raising awareness about the need for cultural heritage conservation and has served as an invaluable resource for scholars”, said Professor Gulfishan Khan, Convener of the seminar and Chairperson & Coordinator of the Centre of Advanced Study, Department of History.
Notably, the Department has made significant contributions in the field of archaeology. The excavation of Atranjikhera, Lal Qila, Jakhera and Fatehpur Sikri by the Department has deepened understanding of India’s history.
The Archaeology Section of the Department of History currently houses an impressive collection of over 9,000 artifacts, with ongoing cataloging efforts. Irfan Habib’s Atlas of Ancient Indian History, co-authored with Faiz Habib, is a landmark edition. Noteworthy contributions also come from Zahoor Ali Khan’s work Studies in Archaeology: Saraswati to the Railway Age and Iqtidar Alam Khan’s recent work, Researches in Medieval Archaeology.
It may be noted that the Archaeology Section of the Department was a result of the efforts of Professor Nurul Hasan, under whose aegis many important excavations like that of Atranjikhera took place, which proved the use of iron in the later Vedic period. Unfortunately the section was closed in 2014. It was however revived after much efforts by Professor Syed Ali Nadeem Rezavi, the then Chairman of the Department and Professor MK Pundhir as its incharge in 2018.
Most of the archaeological artifacts on display at the University Museum belong to the archaeological excavations conducted by the stalwarts of the Department of History. At the time of its revival in 2018, a separate Medieval Archaeology Unit within the section was set up.
The seminar will feature renowned national and international scholars, including Professor Seema Bawa (University of Delhi), Dr. Swapna Liddle, Advisor, INTACH, Professor of South Asian and Iranian Archaeology Cameron A. Petrie (University of Cambridge) whose lecture will provide insights into settlement archaeology in the Indus River Basin during the Indus Civilization. Dr. Adam S. Green (University of York, U.K.) will explore the historical and archaeological significance of northwest India.
Other speakers include Prof. J.N. Pal (University of Allahabad), Dr. D.P. Sharma (Ex-Director, Kala Bhawan, (B.H.U.), Dr. Madhuri Sharma (Art, History and Museology, B.H.U.), Dr. Banani Bhattacharyya (Department of Archaeology and Museums, Haryana), Dr. Swtantra Kumar Singh (B.H.U.), Tosabanta Padhan (Nalanda University) and Dr. Vinay Kumar (B.H.U.), including young scholars from the department.