Renowned archaeologist Shereen Ratnagar, who was synonymous with Harappan history and Indus Valley Civilisation, passed away. She was 82.
She passed away in Mumbai after a brief illness, family sources said on Tuesday.
Ratnagar, a former professor of archaeology at Jawaharlal Nehru University, was an expert witness for the Sunni Waqf Board in the Ayodhya title suit litigation and had challenged the Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) 2003 excavation findings at the disputed site.
The ASI report, resulting from court-ordered digs following the 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid, had concluded that a large structure, interpreted as a Hindu temple, existed beneath the mosque, based on features like pillar bases, terracotta figurines and stratigraphic layers dated to the 12th century or earlier.
The historian argued that the evidence was inconclusive, emphasising disturbed stratigraphy due to prior construction and demolition activities, which undermined claims of continuous temple occupation.
In her court submissions, Ratnagar contended that the pillar bases identified by ASI were not uniquely indicative of a grand Ram temple, as similar features appeared in non-temple Islamic structures and lacked precise dating ties to Hindu architectural traditions specific to Ayodhya’s Ram Janmabhoomi narrative.
Ratnagar had specialised in the Indus Valley Civilisation, with a focus on its trade networks, social organisation and decline through empirical analysis of artifacts and sites.
“The passing of Prof Shireen Ratnagar is an immense loss to Indian archaeology and ancient Indian history. She has left behind a huge body of work that will guide scholars and all those interested to understand the Harappan period as well as several other questions about the ancient India. My sincere condolences to her family, friends and many students," historian Irfan Habib said on X.
Educated at Deccan College in Pune and at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London, she later became professor of archaeology and ancient history at Jawaharlal Nehru University’s Centre for Historical Studies in Delhi.
After retiring in 2000, she pursued independent research in Mumbai.
Her book ‘Encounters: The Westerly Trade of the Harappa Civilisation (1981)’ documents Harappan artifacts like chert weights found in Iraq confirming westerly exchanges. She also authored ‘Understanding Harappa: Civilisation of the Indus’ (2001), providing a detailed, evidence-driven overview of Harappan economy, urbanism and intercultural contacts.
Her interest in the conceptualisation of the early state, of non-stratified tribal societies and of the limits and potentials of non-market economies, coloured much of her work.
Ratnagar also made interventions concerning the political abuse of archaeology.
