(Redirected from Archeological Survey of India)The 'Archaeological Survey of India' is an
Indian government agency in the Department of Culture that is responsible for
archaeological studies and the preservation of cultural monuments. According to its website, the ASI's function is to "explore, excavate, conserve, preserve and protect the monuments and sites of National & International Importance."
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is the successor of the
Asiatic Society of British archaeologist Sir
William Jones, founded
January 15 1784. In 1788 it begun to publish a journal ''The Asiatic Researches'' and in 1814 built its first museum in
Bengal.
The ASI in its current form was founded in 1861 under British colonial administration by
Sir Alexander Cunningham with the help of the then Viceroy
Canning. At the time, its domain also included
Afghanistan. When
Mortimer Wheeler became Director-General in 1944, the head-office of the Survey was located at the Railway Board building in
Simla. After independence, it came under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites And Remains Act of 1958.
ASI administers 3636 monuments it has declared to be of national importance under the provisions of the Antiquity and Art Treasure Act 1972.
The important sites excavated recently include Harsha=ka-Tila at Thanesar in
Haryana exposing a culturall sequence from the
Kushan period to
medieval periods.
Directors-General
★ 1871 - 1885
Sir Alexander Cunningham
★ 1886 - 1889
Dr James Burgess
★ 1902 - 1928
Sir John Marshall
★ 1928 - 1931
Harold Hargreaves
★ 1931 - 1935
Rai Bahadur Daya Ram Sahni
★ 1935 - 1937
J. F. Blakiston
★ 1937 - 1944
Rao Bahadur K.N. Dikshit
★ 1944 - 1948
Sir Mortimer Wheeler
★ 1948 - 1950
N. P. Chakravarti
★ 1950 - 1953
Madhav Swaroop Vats
★ 1953 - .......
A. Ghosh
★ current .......
C. Babu Rajeev
See also
★
List of World Heritage Sites in India.
★
Dholavira Ancient Metropolitan City. Application is pending for World Heritage Site.
★
Survey of India is India's central agency in charge of
mapping and
surveying.
★
Geological Survey of India conducts
geological surveys and studies.
External links
★
Archaeological Survey of India
★
World Heritage Site, All Tentative Sites, Here is an overview of all tentative lists, last updated January 2007.
★
World Heritage, Tentative Lists, State : India.
★
Dholavira: a Harappan City, Disstt, Kachchh, Gujarat, India, India (Asia and the Pacific), Date of Submission: 03/07/1998 , Submission prepared by : Archaeological Survey of India, Coordinates: 23°53'10" N, 70°11'03" E, Ref.: 1090