Who was the first professional archaeologist to bring his experience of working in Greece and Crete to the field in India?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → John Marshall
John Marshall’s time as Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India marked a major change in Indian archaeology. He was the first professional archaeologist to work in India and brought his experience of working in Greece and Crete. Like Cunningham he was interested in spectacular finds, but he was equally keen to look for patterns of everyday life.
Note: A same/similar question was asked in CUET (UG) in the papers below.
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
| 21-05 S2* 24-05 S2 | – | – | 05-06 S3 | – |
* A similar question.
NCERT (2025-26): “10.2 A new old civilisation … In fact, John Marshall’s stint as Director-General of the ASI marked a major change in Indian archaeology. He was the first professional archaeologist to work in India, and brought his experience of working in Greece and Crete to the field. More importantly, though like Cunningham he too was interested in spectacular finds, he was equally keen to look for patterns of everyday life.…” |