Match the following:
List-I (Excavators) – List-II (Sites)
(A) Dayaram Sahni – (i) Rakhigarhi
(B) H. D. Sankalia – (ii) Harappa
(C) Alexander Cunningham – (iii) Nevasa
(D) Surajbhan – (iv) Taxila

Question

Match the following:
 List-I (Excavators) –  List-II (Sites) 
(A) Dayaram Sahni – (i) Rakhigarhi 
(B) H. D. Sankalia – (ii) Harappa  
(C) Alexander Cunningham –  (iii) Nevasa 
(D) Surajbhan –  (iv) Taxila

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 2:

This matching question tests your foundational knowledge of key figures in Indian archaeology and the sites most famously associated with their work. The correct matches are: (A) Dayaram Sahni – (ii) Harappa; (B) H. D. Sankalia – (iii) Nevasa; (C) Alexander Cunningham – (iv) Taxila; and (D) Surajbhan – (i) Rakhigarhi. Sir Dayaram Sahni is historically significant for being the first Indian archaeologist to officially supervise the excavation of Harappa in the 1920s, alongside R. D. Banerji at Mohenjo-daro, confirming the existence of the Indus Valley Civilization. H. D. Sankalia was a pioneering figure in post-Independence Indian archaeology, renowned for his excavations at Nevasa in Maharashtra, which provided crucial insight into the Chalcolithic and historical periods of the Deccan. Alexander Cunningham, often called the "Father of Indian Archaeology," was instrumental in identifying many ancient sites mentioned in Buddhist and historical texts, including the major site of Taxila, which he explored extensively. Finally, Surajbhan is associated with the early explorations and research work at the massive Harappan site of Rakhigarhi in Haryana, linking him to that important discovery.

The incorrect option is 1:
This option incorrectly matches Dayaram Sahni with Rakhigarhi and H. D. Sankalia with Harappa. Dayaram Sahni is specifically credited with the Harappa excavation, while Sankalia's work was centered on sites like Nevasa and Inamgaon in the Deccan, not the Indus Valley core sites.

The incorrect option is 3:
This option correctly matches (A)-(ii) and (B)-(iii), but incorrectly matches (C) Alexander Cunningham with (i) Rakhigarhi. As noted, Cunningham's work predates the discovery and extensive excavation of Rakhigarhi by many decades; his primary focus included sites like Taxila and Sarnath.

The incorrect option is 4:
This option correctly pairs Dayaram Sahni with Harappa, but incorrectly pairs H. D. Sankalia with Rakhigarhi and Alexander Cunningham with Nevasa. Sankalia is known for Nevasa, not Rakhigarhi, and Cunningham’s work was primarily focused on historical sites like Taxila and not Chalcolithic settlements like Nevasa.