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Meet the Research Team

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Post Doctoral Researcher

Bhavna Ahlawat

Education

  • Ph.D. in Bioarchaeology (aDNA), DST-BSIP and Panjab University

  • Master's in Forensic Science, University of Delhi

Research Expertise/Interest

  • Forensic genetics and biomolecular archaeology

Current Research Project

  • Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry and palaeoproteomics

  • Past human-animal interactions

Grant/Fellowship

  • Competitive travel grant to attend the 11th ICAZ–AGPM Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark

  • Young Investigator Attendance Award from the Society for Molecular Biology & Evolution (SMBE) for its 2025 Annual Meeting in Beijing

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Post Doctoral Researcher

Malavika Chatterjee

Education

  • Ph.D. in Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology, Deccan College PGRI, Pune

Research Expertise/Interest

  • Prehistory and Lithic Analysis

Current Research Project

  • integration of 3D scanning, Photogrammetry, and Geometric Morphometrics with traditional typo-technological analyses, culminating in an open-access digital repository of stone tools​

Grant/Fellowship​

  • SAS Student and Early Career Research Support Award 2025 by the Society for Archaeological Sciences 

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PhD Candidate (Graduated 2024)

Camellia Biswas

PhD Topic- Mapping the Dynamics of Human and Nonhuman Relations in the Indian Sundarban from the Context of Cyclonic Disasters

Research Expertise/Interest- Human-Animal/Multispecies Studies, Culture and Heritage, GIS Mapping

Education

  • ​Masters in Environment and Development, School of Human Ecology, Ambedkar University Delhi

  • Bachelors in English Honors, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, WB​

Grant/Fellowship

  • Inlaks RaviShankaran Conservation Small Grant 2021-22

  • Platinum Jubilee Women's Leader Project' for South Asia and UK by British Council, 2022

  • Earth Fellowship by SGSAH and British Council Scotland, 2023- Hosted by Archaeology Institute, University of Highlands and Islands, Scotland.

  • ​INTACH Research Scholarship 2024

  • Cultivating Humanities & Social Sciences- Association for Asian Studies- 2024-25

  • Director Gold Medal for Overall Outstanding Performance in PhD (13th Convocation IITGN)

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PhD Candidate (Graduated 2026)

Ahana Ghosh

PhD Topic- Beyond Hearths and Pots: Understanding Ancient Food Processing in the Harappan Culture

Research Expertise/Interest- Material Culture, Ethnoarchaeology, Ancient Food Processing Techniques

Education

  • M.Phil. in Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology- Deccan College PGRI, Pune, India​

  • Masters in Archaeology, University of Calcutta

  • Bachelor in History, Lady Brabourne College, University of Calcutta

Grant/Fellowship

  • Student ambassador, South Asia, Society for Archaeological Sciences.

  • ECR for Antiquity, Durham: Rewriting World Archaeology Project: Dialogues from the Global South (June 2021 – Present)

  • Visiting Researcher at Ceramic Residue Analysis Laboratory, University of North Carolina, Wilmington. (4th - 11th October 2022)

  • Fulbright-Nehru Visiting Doctoral Researcher, Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (August 2023 - May 2024).

  • INTACH Research Scholarship 2024

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PhD Candidate

Saurabh Mishra

Ph.D. Topic (Tentative)- Multi-Proxy Analysis of the Faunal Remains from the Sanganakallu-Kupgal Site Complex, Bellary Region, Karnataka.

Research Expertise/Interest- ZooMS Fingerprinting (Palaeo-proteomics), Human-Animal Studies

Education

  • Masters in Archaeology, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Gujarat

  • Bachelors in Archaeology, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Gujarat​

  • Bachelor's in Science, Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur, UP

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PhD Candidate

Angad Lamba

Ph.D. Topic (Tentative)- Investigations into the Secondary Uses of Domestic Animals during the Harappan Period with Special Reference to the sites of Tigrana (Haryana) and Kotda Bhadli (Gujarat).

Research Expertise/Interest- Zooarchaeology, Interdisciplinarity (concepts and ideas from zoology and geology).

Education

  • Masters in AIHC & Archaeology, Deccan College, Pune, Maharashtra.

  • Bachelors in History & Philosophy, Hansraj College, Delhi University.

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PhD Candidate

Arefa Chimthanawala

Ph.D. Topic (Tentative)- A Detailed Case Study of Faunal Remains from a Late Bronze Age to Early Iron Age Site Vedi in the Ararat Plain of Armenia

Research Expertise/Interest-Zooarchaeology,  Archaeological-trench-based analysis and Actualistic approaches

Education

  • Masters of Arts (AIHC & Archaeology), Deccan College PGRI, Pune

  • BFA (Painting), Nagpur University, Maharashtra

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PhD Candidate  (Continuing Doctoral Programme)

Falguni Tailor

Research Expertise/Interest- Sustainable Development, Climate Change, Blue Economy, Coastal Zone Management, GIS mapping

Education

  • Master of City Planning from IIT Kharagpur

  • Bachelor of Architecture from Jadavpur University

Currently working as- Project Scientist, KPCSD, IIT Gandhinagar​

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PhD Candidate 

Shimon Prakash

Research Expertise/Interest- Prehistoric Archaeology, Lithic Technology, Field Archaeology, Environmental Archaeology, Rock Art Studies

Education

  • Master's in Ancient History and Archaeology, MS University, Baroda

  • Bachelor of Arts from Benares Hindu University

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PhD Candidate 

Sreelekha Ravindran

Research Expertise/Interest- Bioarchaeology, Stable Isotopes, Paleodiet, Mobility Study, Human-Animal-Environment Interaction, Experimental Archaeology

Education

  • Master’s in Archaeological Materials Science  (Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree), Universidade de Évora (Portugal) / Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece) / Sapienza Università di Roma (Italy)

  • Master’s in Ancient Indian History Culture and Archaeology, Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute, Pune (India)

  • Bachelor’s in History, Ethiraj College For Women (Autonomous) Affiliated to the University of Madras​

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Manisha.avif

Post Doctoral Fellow (Past) 

Manisha Kesarwani

Education

  • Ph.D. in Applied Geology, IIT-ISM Dhanbad​

  • Masters in Applied Geology, University of Allahabad

Research Expertise/Interest

  • Isotope Geochemistry and its applications

  • Deciphering sources of orogenic gold deposits in Eastern Dharwar Carbon​

DST SERB Research Project

  • Isotopic fingerprinting of animal remains from Dholavira

  • Addressing Archaeological Questions:

    • Dietary reconstruction

    • Paleo-climatic information

    • Ancient migrations

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Sabarmati Bridge Pre Doctoral Fellow 

Aliza Ajith

Education

  • Master's in Society and Culture, IIt Gandhinagar

  • BA in English Literature, Madras Christian College

Research Expertise/Interest

  • Environmental Anthropology, Ethnobiology, plant-People interactions, Traditional Ecological knowledge, Human-Environment Relations

 

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OTHER ASSOCIATED STUDENTS/RESEARCHERS

External PhD Guidance

Prof. Sharada is in the Research Progress Committee of Ms. Madhura Naik, PhD Candidate from National Forensic Sciences, University, Gandhinagar. She is also co-supervising Ms Bhavika Parekh from Gujarat Technological University with Prof Neelam Nathani.

Masters Thesis Guidance 

Anita Mundu

(MASC, 2026)

Mohammed Jabir M

(MASC, 2025)

Fasna K

(MASC, 2021)

Aliza Ajith

(MASC, 2026)

Himani Verma 

(MASC, 2025) 

Abhishek Ramesh

(MASC, 2021)

Snehal Bhilare 

(MASC, 2024)

Ahila Shekhar

(MASC, 2020)

RESEARCH/ PROJECT STAFF

Name- Sandra S

Topic- Dholavira Worked Bone Assemblage: A Study of its Typology, Technology, Experimental Reproduction and Digitization.

Duration-September 2021 - September 2022

©Curated by CB, managed by IRN team (last updated: 14.05.2026.

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