Welcome to Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University

Department of History including Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology

                                                           हेमवती नंदन बहुगुणा गढ़वाल विश्वविद्यालय(केंद्रीय विश्वविद्यालय)

                                                   HEMVATI NANDAN BAHUGUNA GARHWAL UNIVERSITY( A Central University )

About Department

The  Department of history was  renamed  as the  Department of History including  Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology at Birla Campus   following the   inception  of Garhwal University. The Department offers  Undergraduate , Post –Graduate  and PhD  programme  in all the three  campuses  of the University and   Archaeology  in  the Birla Campus In 1994 the department also introduced Environmental Archaeology as separate paper in PG level under the UGC-COSIST programme at Srinagar campus. The aim of this programme was to introduce scientific archaeology at Post-Graduate level, and also to encourage the students of science stream to opt archaeology at PG level.

Over the years the  Department has   developed a strong  foundation  for  multidisciplinary    research in Archaeology and History. Therefore, the department  has been conducting archaeological explorations and excavations of    archaeological sites in Uttarakhand  for the last three and half decades.  The most  notable excavation of  Ranihat (1976),  Thapli (1980) in Alaknanda valley , Moradhwaj(1991-94)) in the foothills of Himalaya , Purola ( 1995-1997) in Kamal-Yamuna  valley  and Sanana-Baseri in Ramganga  valley (   1997-1999) in Uttarakhand were  conducted under the supervision of  Late Prof.K.P.Nautiyal, the founder of  the Department  and Late Prof.B.M.Khanduri. The findings from the excavations of these very important archaeological sites  not only pushed the antiquity of  this region to 1st millennium BC  but  gave a  new archaeological perspective of Uttarakhand  which  was poorly  known.     Presently the Department is  expended its  explorations    in Trans-Himalayan  region of  Kinnaur valley  in Himachal  Pradesh to  study the extension of high altitude   burials  culture of Uttarakhand.  In historical studies   it  has been  carrying out research on various   socio-economic   and    political aspects of  , Ancient, Medieval and Modern History of Uttarakhand.

The department has also established an archaeological Computing Laboratory with AutoCAD Software, Graphics software and 3D Laser Scanner. The Archaeological Chemistry Laboratory is also well equipped with Atomic Absorption Spectrometer and other associated equipments. These facilities have been developed to carry out research in the front line area of Palaeodiet, Anthropogenic Soil Chemistry and 3D modelling, visualization,  multimedia documentation of vanishing traditions. Over the last fifteen years the Department has also been  working    on some of the new thrust areas   of  Environmental History, Dalit and Tribal History, Women and Society in Uttarakhand,   History of Indigenous Health Care System, History of religion, Oral and Folk Traditions, Indigenous Ecological and Technological Knowledge, Ancient Art, Temple Architecture, High Mountain Archaeology and Ethnoarchaeology

The department also played an important role in the formation of Uttarakhand History and Culture Association in 2007 and  also organised its first conference in the same year. The department also organised national Conference on Ramayana in 2003 and an Indo-US Workshop on Digital Archaeology in 2006.
The faculty members have published    many research papers in national and International journals and   have been actively   participating   in national and International   workshop /conferences.  

Last Updated on 14/02/2024