Dr Sharada Srinivasan specialises in scientific archaeology and archaeometallurgy, particularly the artisanal practices and techniques of South India. After graduating in Engineering Physics from the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai, in 1989 Sharada gained a MA from SOAS, London, with a Master’s dissertation on the use of stone in Indian temples, for which she was awarded the Flinders Petrie Medal. In 1996 she completed her PhD with a dissertation entitled “The enigma of the dancing ‘pancha-loha’ (five-metalled) icons: archaeometallurgical and art historical investigations of south Indian bronzes” at the Institute of Archaeology in London!
Amongst many other awards, in 2011, Sharada received the Kalpana Chawla Women Scientist Award (named after the first woman of Indian descent to go to space!) from the Karnataka Government. This is particularly significant to Sharada because she had aspired to be an astronaut herself! One of her proudest achievements came in 2019, when she was awarded the Padmashri Award in Archaeology by the Indian government (their 4th highest civilian award!) in recognition of her huge contribution in promoting archaeology. She hopes this award will help her inspire more young Indian women into STEM subjects and archaeology.
Source: @rashtrapatibhvn
Sharada collecting her Padmashri award from the President of India in 2019
Sharada is not only an impressive archaeologist, but also a talented Bharata Natyam performer, a passion which has driven her research and she has incorporated into her talks. She began learning the Southern Indian classical dance around the age of 10, performing on stage and training more rigorously from 16. Her Ph.D. enabled her two passions to come together, as reflected in the lecture and performance on the artistic and technical aspects of the Chola bronzes and the Nataraja bronze representing the dancing Hindu god Siva she gave as a fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain. Check out her TED talks on ‘Archaeotechnology, Music and Dance’ and ‘Cosmic dance and science perspective on Chola bronzes’!
Source: Sharada Srinivasan.
Check out Sharada with the Nataraja Bronze!
Currently, Sharada is a Professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru, and Honorary Fellow Exeter University. Most recently, she was involved in the India Digital Heritage project which culminated in an exhibition at the National Museum, Delhi in January 2020, displaying 3-D printed models of temples, such as the World Heritage Site of Hampi!
Source: Sharada Srinivasan.
Sharada alongside 3D printed models of Hempi at the National Museum in Delhi! Check out her interview here!
A huge thank you to Sharada for her time, enthusiasm and photos!
Guest post by Emily Clare, submitted as part of the TrowelBlazers Digital Fieldwork Project at the Institute of Archaeology, UCL.
