Department of Ancient History, University of Allahabad

11/04/2026

11/04/2026

विभाग के वरिष्ठ आचार्य प्रो० हर्ष कुमार, सामाजिक विज्ञान की समृद्ध पीठ दीन दयाल उपाध्याय शोध पीठ के चेयर प्रोफेसर के रूप में 1 अप्रैल 2026 से पदस्थापित हुए। ये प्राचीन इतिहास विभाग परिवार हेतु गर्व का विषय है।

10/04/2026

🔴 LIVE TELECAST @03:00 PM
प्रतियोगी परीक्षाओं में चयनित विद्यार्थी सम्मान समारोह - “हमें आप पर गर्व है”
🗓️ 10 अप्रैल 2026
📽️ https://www.youtube.com/live/aZkk0Hb0-LA

University Grants Commission Ministry of Education

20/03/2026

Kalinjar’s unique topography secured its strategic prominence across Indian history- Dr. Yadav

The week-long national workshop, "Revisiting Ancient Settlements of Uttar Pradesh," reached its scholarly culmination on Frinday, March 20th 2026 at the University of Allahabad. The event was a collaborative initiative by the Department of Ancient History, Culture and Archaeology, University of Allahabad, and the Regional Archaeological Unit, Prayagraj (UP State Archaeology Department).
Covering the vast extent of UP from doab to terai and vindhyas flanks since day one, the workshop on its concluding day featured a keynote address by Dr. Rajendra Yadav, Superintending Archaeologist of the ASI Kolkata Circle. Speaking on the theme "Human Footprints and the Cultural Landscape of Bundelkhand with Special Reference to Kalinjar," Dr. Yadav provided a comprehensive diachronic analysis of the region.
His lecture traversed the vast temporal expanse of Bundelkhand, from its prehistoric origins to the complex political and administrative frameworks till the colonial era. Emphasizing the geological formation of the region of the Kalinjar fort, He opined that it was its chief region for attaining the central position in Indian history. To reconstruct this history, Dr. Yadav synthesized a diverse array of evidence including epigraphic records, material culture, and literary sources.
The session was chaired by the distinguished archaeologist Prof. (Retd.) Prakash Sinha, who provided critical insights into the evolving methodologies of settlement archaeology.
The workshop witnessed robust engagement, with over 200 participants attending in a hybrid format (both online and offline). The diverse cohort included scholars and students from 20+ prestigious universities and institutions across India, marking the program as a significant milestone in the study of Uttar Pradesh’s regional history.

19/03/2026

Day : 5

19/03/2026

As a part of the ongoing workshop entitled "Revisiting the Ancient settlements of Uttar Pradesh" (between 16th and 20th March, 2026) the outstation participants visited the departmental museum (Prof. G.R. Sharma Memorial Museum) and enjoyed the intra-institutional interactions today (19th March 2026). The outstation participants belong to different universities and academic institutions such as Nalanda University, University of Lucknow, University of Delhi, Bhopal Nobles University (Udaipur), Dr Hari Singh Gaur University (Sagar), Saurashtra University, Institute of Archaeology, IIT, ISM Dhanbad, Banaras Hindu University, etc.

19/03/2026

*Prehistoric People roamed in Ganga plains at least around 43-45 K years BP, said former DG of ASI*

On March 19, 2026, the fourth day of the week-long workshop, "Revisiting the Ancient Settlements of Uttar Pradesh," featured a significant session titled "Some Archaeological Points to Ponder." The event was jointly organized by the Department of Ancient History, Culture and Archaeology, University of Allahabad, and the Regional Archaeological Unit, Prayagraj (UP State Archaeology Department).
The session was chaired by Prof. H.N. Dubey, Retired Professor of the University of Allahabad, and featured a keynote lecture by Dr. Rakesh Tewari, former Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India.
Dr. Tewari’s presentation provided a deep dive into the archaeological nuances of the region. He specifically focused on the mobility of floral, faunal, material, and cultural entities, tracing their movement from the Ganga plain to distant regions and vice versa. By examining these exchange patterns, he highlighted the interconnectedness of ancient settlements and the dynamic nature of early Indian civilizations. Based on the findings near Kalpi, Jalaun, Dr. Tewari speculated the presence of prehistoric people in the Ganga plains at least around 43-45 thousand years before present. The session concluded with an engaging discussion on the evolving methodologies in Indian archaeology.
This session, featuring Dr. Tewari, is pivotal for understanding the Ganga Valley's central role in ancient trade and migration. Reaching towards its zenith, the workshop has celebrated five distinguished scholars so far and is all set to conclude with one last amazing discussion on the cultural landscape of Bundelkhand region.

18/03/2026

आज विभाग के लिए अत्यंत गौरव एवं हर्ष का विषय रहा कि यूपीएससी में चयनित हमारे मेधावी छात्र आदित्य सिंह का आगमन हुआ। उनके इस उपलब्धि ने न केवल विभाग का मान बढ़ाया है, बल्कि वर्तमान छात्रों के लिए एक प्रेरणास्रोत के रूप में भी स्थापित किया है। इस अवसर पर विभाग के शिक्षकों एवं विद्यार्थियों ने उनका हार्दिक स्वागत किया तथा उनके अनुभवों को सुनकर सभी ने नई ऊर्जा एवं उत्साह का अनुभव किया। आदित्य सिंह ने अपने संघर्ष, अनुशासन एवं लक्ष्य के प्रति समर्पण की चर्चा करते हुए विद्यार्थियों को निरंतर प्रयासरत रहने की प्रेरणा दी।

18/03/2026

*Ganga Plain is the cradle of Indic Civilization- Prof. J.N. Pal*
On Wednesday, the ongoing workshop on 'Revisiting ancient settlements of Uttar Pradesh' jointly organised by Department of Ancient History, Culture and Archaeology, University of Allahabad and the Regional Archaeological Unit, Prayagraj of UP State Archaeology Department reached its half way.
This rewarding occasion was marked by the insightful and fruitful discussions by the two senior doyens of Ancient Indian history and archaeology of the very same department of the University where the workshop is being held.
The beginning lecture was delivered by Prof. J.N. Pal, a veteran archaeologist, who has explored the vast stretch of Middle Ganga plains throughout his academic life. Prof. Pal vividly discussed on the topic, "Prelude to Urbanization in the Middle Ganga plain" where he travelled through Archaeological relics to literary citations beginning from prehistoric period to dynastic eras. He unravelled a wide range of findings of the scholars from the department of Ancient History, University of Allahabad some of which are currently placed in the department's museum.
The lecture was followed by the remarks of the chairman presiding the session, Prof. Anamika Roy, an expert in Ancient Indian Art, Architecture, Paleography and Gender Studies. Prof. Roy in her succinct remark very beautifully covered the crucial points such as urbanization, demography and urban life style along with references from the primary sources. She also highlighted the importance of concerted efforts from a range of experts including archaeologists, historians, anthropologists, etc. during digging of any sites.
The listeners were highly elated by the insightful thoughts of both the speakers and the significance of these series of lectures can be guessed by the strength of the audience continuously showing up for the immersion in such thorough and vivid discussions.

17/03/2026

Day : 3

17/03/2026

Material observation of Mahabharata explored on day two of the ongoing workshop

On the second day of one week workshop focused on revisiting the ancient settlements of Uttar Pradesh organised jointly by the Department of Ancient History, Culture and Archaeology, University of Allahabad and the Regional Archaeological Unit, Prayagraj of UP State Archaeology, two important topic were discussed.
In the first session of the day Dr. Sanjay Manjul, Additional Director General, ASI broadly elucidated the Material remnants of the Mahabharata and explored its various aspects through literary, cultural, archaeological and astronomical angles. Following up the propositions of Sir BB Lal, a giant in Indian archaeology, Dr. Manjul periodized Mahabharata up to 12th-11th century BCE and rebutted the claims of cultures of Mahabharata to be solely rural in nature. He had emphasized through his lectures to focus both on cultural diffusion and material culture to get a better understanding of the past.
Following the first lecture, the second address was on the 'Re-assessment of cultural continuity and changes vis-a-vis established periodization in Gangetic doab' by Dr. Bhuvan Vikram, Director of Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Institute of Archaeology, Greater Noida. Dr. Vikram focused on the uniformity and variability of materials and cultures of Harappan and succeeding cultures in the context of regions of UP particularly western regions. He further stretched his analysis up to NBPW period and Dynastic profile in periodization of Indian history and proposed the asynchronous development of cultures in the different regions of UP.
The workshop has been energetically immersed with lots of ideas and learnings so far and expects to continue with the same zeal in the following days.

17/03/2026

Day : 2, Session - 1 & 2