Nibedita
Nibedita
Doctoral Fellow
Country
India
Member since
Bio
I am an archaeologist and PhD scholar at the Department of Archaeology, Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute, Pune, India. My research integrates field archaeology with ethnographic methods, experimental replication, and faunal analysis to explore human–animal relationships and craft traditions across time in West Bengal.
I began my academic journey at Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan – a UNESCO Living World Heritage Site – where I completed both my Bachelor of Arts and Master’s degrees in Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology. Immersed in an institution shaped by cultural philosophy and heritage values, I developed an early interest in indigenous traditions and material culture. I am a UGC Junior Research Fellowship awardee and eligible for assistant professor positions in India.
To strengthen my field training, I pursued the Postgraduate Diploma in Archaeology (2021–2023) at the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Institute of Archaeology, the academic wing of the Archaeological Survey of India. There, I received rigorous training in excavation methods, archaeological sciences, heritage documentation, and artefact analysis. I was honoured with the Gurudev Ranade Award for Best Student, conferred in memory of Padma Vibhushan Prof. B. B. Lal.
I have participated in several major archaeological field projects, including serving as a trench supervisor at Rakhigarhi and taking part in the 2024–2025 excavation at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bhimbetka. I have presented my work at national and international conferences and published on topics such as terracotta temple architecture, sacred landscapes, ritual practices, and the symbolic use of animals in cultural contexts.
My core research interests lie in ethnoarchaeology, archaeozoology, and experimental archaeology, with particular focus on bone tool replication and analysis. My diploma dissertation examined the typo-technological features of bone tools from the archaeological site of Tamluk in coastal Bengal, combining experimental knapping with microscopic use-wear analysis to explore prehistoric craftsmanship.
For me, archaeology is a discipline that tells the story of the past through material culture. I believe that combining scientific methods with insights from indigenous knowledge systems helps to bridge the distance between past and present, offering a deeper and more inclusive understanding of heritage.
I began my academic journey at Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan – a UNESCO Living World Heritage Site – where I completed both my Bachelor of Arts and Master’s degrees in Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology. Immersed in an institution shaped by cultural philosophy and heritage values, I developed an early interest in indigenous traditions and material culture. I am a UGC Junior Research Fellowship awardee and eligible for assistant professor positions in India.
To strengthen my field training, I pursued the Postgraduate Diploma in Archaeology (2021–2023) at the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Institute of Archaeology, the academic wing of the Archaeological Survey of India. There, I received rigorous training in excavation methods, archaeological sciences, heritage documentation, and artefact analysis. I was honoured with the Gurudev Ranade Award for Best Student, conferred in memory of Padma Vibhushan Prof. B. B. Lal.
I have participated in several major archaeological field projects, including serving as a trench supervisor at Rakhigarhi and taking part in the 2024–2025 excavation at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bhimbetka. I have presented my work at national and international conferences and published on topics such as terracotta temple architecture, sacred landscapes, ritual practices, and the symbolic use of animals in cultural contexts.
My core research interests lie in ethnoarchaeology, archaeozoology, and experimental archaeology, with particular focus on bone tool replication and analysis. My diploma dissertation examined the typo-technological features of bone tools from the archaeological site of Tamluk in coastal Bengal, combining experimental knapping with microscopic use-wear analysis to explore prehistoric craftsmanship.
For me, archaeology is a discipline that tells the story of the past through material culture. I believe that combining scientific methods with insights from indigenous knowledge systems helps to bridge the distance between past and present, offering a deeper and more inclusive understanding of heritage.