Sharada Srinivasan

Sharada Srinivasan is a Professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru. In 2019, she received the Padhmashri, the fourth highest civilian award from Government of India, in Archaeology. She has made pioneering contributions to the study of archaeology and history of art from the perspective of exploring engineering applications in these disciplines. Prof. Sharada Srinivasan’s landmark contributions include archaeometric characterisation of bronzes of South India using lead isotope analysis and archaeometallurgical studies on ancient mining and metallurgy in southern India. These span studies on the production mechanisms of high carbon wootz steel and documentation of artisanal technologies such as Aranmula high tin bronze metal mirror making, bronze casting at Swamimalai and ancient and continuing traditions of high-tin bronze working, while she has worked on artefacts in the Government Museum, Chennai, British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, London.