Archaeology of India is first started by British archaeologist and after the discover of Indus valley civilization work on Indian archaeology started more rapidly and conservation and preservation of monuments and new discovery of many archaeological sites started reporting. Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), under the Ministry of Culture, is the premier organization for the archaeological researches and protection of the cultural heritage of the nation. Maintenance of ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains of national importance.There are at present more than 5000 ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains of national importance. Monuments under the Archaeological Survey Include temples, mosques, tombs, churches, cemeteries, forts, palaces, step-wells, rock-cut caves, and secular architecture as well as ancient mounds and sites which represent the remains of ancient habitation.
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Archaeology is the study of Human Past. The word “Archaeology” is derived from Greek `archaios’ meaning “ancient” and `logos’ meaning “knowledge” it has been therefore variously defined as “the study of antiquity, the science of ancient things”. The function of the archaeologist to explore, excavate and collect the ancient remains and study and provide us information about our unknown past. Man differs from other creatures in his ability to learn, accumulate knowledge and pass it on to future generations. He has learnt to use various raw materials available in nature – stone, wood, bone, clay, metal, etc. – for shaping them into useful objects for satisfying his needs. Objects made of comparatively durable materials survive for varying lengths of time and constitute the main source of information for knowledge of the human past.