Meet Arsh Ali, India’s youngest archaeologist, probing ‘Egyptian Buddhism’
At 18, Arsh Ali is dubbed as India’s youngest archeologist.
He has already been a part of various archaeological excavations and explorations and is currently working on the experimental approach to ancient Egyptian cuisine, particularly bread and ancient Egyptian mummification.
Arsh is working to find more evidence for his research on ‘Egyptian Buddhism’ which seeks to discern the Buddhist proselytism movement of the Indian-Mauryan emperor Ashoka in Egypt around the 3rd century BCE, and its profound effect on both the ancient societies.
Armed with no formal education on archaeology but possessing great knowledge on natural sciences and cultures of different countries the young archaeologist is presently studying in class 12th (A levels) with a combination of Life Sciences and Humanities through the NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling).
He won a few scholarships from the state cultural department for his proficiency in art while at school. As he progressed in class, he had already started self-learning the hieroglyphs when he was just 10.
His active interest in archaeology and history was becoming more visible. Arsh came in contact with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), when he was only in eighth standard.
Arsh is working to find more evidence for his research on ‘Egyptian Buddhism’.
Evidence on Egypt
The ASI, after assessing Arsh’s level of knowledge in archaeology through a panel questioning, allowed Arsh at a tender age of 15, to participate in archaeological excavations that were being undertaken at that time all over the country by the ASI. And the rest is history, as they say.
Responding to Al Arabiya English, the young prodigy said: “After I have discovered a lot of evidence for the topic on Egypt, I am being invited by various archaeological institutions and museums in India and Egypt for delivering lectures/presentations on the same. Most recently, I have also been invited to publish my research papers in some of the most prestigious archaeological journals and reference books.”
“I want to gift something to this world, something that might prove itself to be absolutely useful to this world, either in terms of the understanding of the natural world or some sort of this. And I intend to live my whole life dedicated to knowledge,” he said.
Hailing from Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh and born to Faisal Ali and Fatima Ali, Arsh did his schooling till 10th (O levels) from City Montessori School, Lucknow and subsequently passed the Advanced Placement (AP) exams in world history and European History.
Arsh’s passion for art and archaeology started early and today he spends a great amount of time researching ancient history, visiting digs, presenting papers at seminars, and delivering lectures on history and archaeology.
Arsh has won scholarships from the state cultural department for his proficiency in art while at school.
Convinced of his abilities, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), under the Ministry of Culture, the premier organization for the archaeological researches and protection of the cultural heritage of the nation, has been inviting Arsh since 2015 to their programs, seminars, excavations and explorations, a privilege often enjoyed by post-graduate students of archaeology.
Arsh has so far been engaged in seven excavations and explorations since 2015 including the ones at Bijnore, Rakhigarhi, Assam, Sonari, Satdhara, Ranchi and Early Historic site of Purana Qila.
Arsh recently delivered a lecture on “Egyptian Buddhism” as part of the exhibition, India and the World: A History in Nine Stories, at the National Museum in New Delhi.
Arsh came in contact with the Archaeological Survey of India when he was only in eighth standard.
Documentation and research
Arsh’s has several assignments at hand and is meticulously working on Ashokan Buddhist proselytism and its connection with the archaeological and literary sources of India and the Hellenistic world.
He is especially focused on Ptolemaic Egypt; on the experimental approach to the bread-baking techniques of the ancient Egyptians and the experimental approach to ancient Egyptian mummification and on the funerary hieroglyphic inscriptions on the ancient Egyptian coffins and mummies in the various museums all over India.
Arsh recently delivered a lecture on “Egyptian Buddhism”.
Also, he is engaged in the study of the effects of the great Oxygen revolution on the chemical and microbiological composition of the Cambrian stromatolites; comparative skeletal anatomies between reptiles and birds and the evolutionary link between the two on the basis of morphology and fossil record; and the inscriptions discovered in the Brahmaputra river valley in Goalpara district of Assam among others.
Arsh bats for better technology as key tools of investigations and discoveries. He says that aerial photograph has lot of implications in archaeology.
“One of the most important significance of aerial photography in archaeology is that it allows you to have an overview of the whole site and its extent at one glance, whereas ground photography rarely allows you to do so,” he says.
According to him, aerial photography also allows discovery of new sites by means of shadow marks, crop marks, etc. which sometimes goes intractable with some other exploration methods and field methods.
For the teenager who has chosen to straddle different eras and civilizations, digging history deeper is his mission.
Courtesy: english.alarabiya.net
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PM instructs armed forces that response to every action by Pak should be more forceful: Govt sources
New Delhi, May 11 (PTI): There is a new normal in India's response to cross-border terrorism, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi instructing the armed forces that the country's response to every action by Pakistan should be more forceful, government sources said on Sunday.
Following Operation Sindoor, Prime Minister Modi told the armed forces that bullets must be responded to by artillery (Wahan se goli chalegi, toh yahan se gola chalega), the sources said.
They said Operation Sindoor is not concluded and there is a new normal in India's response to cross-border terrorism. The cost of cross-border terrorism will be raised, and Pakistan can't continue with terrorism while expecting cooperation in areas of its choosing.
They also said that India will never accept mediation in the Kashmir issue and the only matter to discuss is Pakistan returning the territory which is under its illegal occupation
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Saturday evening announced that India and Pakistan reached an understanding to stop all firings and military actions on land, air and sea, with immediate effect, after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.
The development was first announced by US President Donald Trump, who claimed that the two countries had agreed to a "full and immediate ceasefire" after US mediation.
In a statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he was "pleased to announce the Governments of India and Pakistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire and to start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site".
The only matter related to Kashmir to discuss is Pakistan returning territory under its illegal occupation, Government sources asserted on Sunday.
They made it clear that the Indus Waters Treaty will be in abeyance as long as terrorism sponsored by Pakistan against India continues.
Only talks with Pakistan will be through the Director General of Military Operations (DGMOs). There is no other issue to discuss, the sources said.
India's position after the May 7 strikes on terror infrastructure was that if Pakistan fires, India will respond more forcefully, they said, adding it was the Pakistani DGMO who reached out to the Indian DGMO on May 10 to de-escalate situation
After the Pahalgam attack, India had told countries that reached out to New Delhi it would hit terror infrastructure in Pakistan territories.
After the May 7 strikes, every Pakistani action was dealt with very firmly, the sources said.
