Archaeological Survey of India - Overview

Overview

The ASI administers 3650 monuments and archaeological sites and remains of national importance under the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1958 (No 24 of 1958) and Rule in 1959. The important sites excavated very recently include Harsha-ka-Tila at Thanesar in Haryana exposing a cultural sequence from the Kushan period to medieval periods, a Harappan town at Bhirrana and in Haryana has revealed a 4.5m cultural sequence consisting of Hakra Ware, Early and Mature Harappan cultures Sanauli in Uttar Pradesh is under excavation by the ASI since September 2005. Subsequently, ASI identified the site as a prominent cemetery site of Late Harappan period (early 2nd millennium B.C.), one among the five largest Harappan cities in the subcontinent, Dholavira in Gujarat has yielded many firsts in respect of Indus Valley Civilization, an Iron Age Urn Burial Site in Adichanallur, Tamil Nadu. However because of internal politics, the staff often consists of workers who are very less capable and efficient many sites are often left at the mercy of the villagers who sell historical artifacts to tourists, given the lack of written artifacts of the Indus valley civilization, leads one to believe the indus language has not been deciphered so far because of the inability of the ASI to protect Sites and Artifacts