Retelling the evolution story

The Indraprastha Museum of Art and Archaeology,located at the Indian Archaeological Society near Qutab Hotel,was inaugurated in October last year,though the 5,000-odd objects that the museum boasts of had been on display at the Society’s building since 1997. From fossils found at Shivalik and Narmada Valley,antiquities excavated from Kamraj in Gujarat and Kampilya in Uttar Pradesh,mammalian and non-mammalian fauna that go back to nearly a million years to tools of the Palaeoliths,Microliths and Neoliths,the objects trace human history from stone tools to stone inscriptions. Pottery,belonging to different periods starting from the Indus-Saraswati civilisation (3000 BC) to the Mauryan era,punch-mark coins of the 4th Century BC to the evolution of scripts such as Brahmi,the displays give an insight into the bio-cultural evolution of man in India up to the rule of Ashoka.

The museum’s central panel depicts the Chalcolithic sites of northern India. Panels and maps also demonstrate how prehistorians and archaeologists work on various sites,excavate and reconstruct history and cultural progression. Perhaps the most notable panel is the one depicting a burial site at Rakhigarhi in Haryana of a woman wearing conch shell bangles.

Many of these antiquities,particularly fossils,had been donated by renowned archaeologist A P Khatri who had worked in several parts of the world. The displays are not limited to Indian sites — tools from Upper Palaeolithic sites across France,Spain,Poland,England,America,Ethiopia,Indonesia and Japan are also showcased here.

The museum does not figure in the list of Delhi’s museums uploaded by the Delhi government on its website. Nevertheless,curator Mohit Srivastava claims that it has been able to attract school children and research scholars alike.

But with around 30 museums already in the city,is there space for another one? “Museums are like educational institutions; the more the better. Besides,Delhi has fewer museums compared to many cities of the West. Also,museums should be accessible. In a city like Delhi,we need museums in every zone to make it easy for students to understand and approach history,” reasons Srivastava,adding that the museum intends to hold workshops for students on the various aspects of prehistory.