Akash Srinivas

Research Interests

Palaeolithic archaeology; Palaeoanthropology; prehistory; lithic studies; human evolution, dispersals, adaptations & behaviour; actualistic studies; geoarchaeology; site formation processes; cognition and cognitive archaeology; art and symbolism; application of sciences in archaeology; Plio-Pleistocene environments; Quaternary Sciences; ethnoarchaeology; experimental archaeology; vertebrate palaeontology; archaeological survey and excavation methods; archaeological historiography; archaeological theory; Old World archaeology; South Asian prehistory and archaeology; public archaeology; teaching archaeology; museum studies: documenting and display of archaeological elements, especially prehistoric artefacts; controversies and debates in archaeology.

In short, all things archaeology related (well... maybe except pottery :P ).

Ask An Archaeologist!!

Ever had any questions related to the past?! Curious to find out how archaeologists excavate and discover various details of our history?! Have any doubts about various historical and archaeological claims (especially those from the multiple forwards on WhatsApp and videos shared via YouTube)?! Get all your questions and queries answered by an actual archaeologist!! Contact me by email at: akashsrinivas123 [at] gmail.com, with the subject 'Ask an Archaeologist', and I will do my best to help you with your query! 

Fresh off the press!!

Srinivas, A. and S. Diwakar. 2026. (Colonial) Shadows of the Tomb Raider: The Portrayal of Archaeology and Exploration of South Asia. In Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Legacy of Lara Croft: Studies of Culture, Fandom and Gender (N. Le Clue ed.). Leeds: Emerald Publishing Limited, pp. 135-147. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83708-246-920261010 (https://bookstore.emerald.com/tomb-raider-at-30-hb-9781837082476.html)

Phartiyal, B., B. Karthick, N. Lahiri, A. Tiwari, K. Prasanna, A. Trivedi, M.C. Manoj, M. Kawsar, A. Renny, M. Thacker, P.K. Das and Akash Srinivas. 2025. Climate-driven history of last 2600 years: Insights from Bandhavgarh National Park and Tiger Reserve, Central India. The Holocene 35(11): 1159–1179.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/09596836251358726 

Srinivas, A. 2024a. Palaeolithic Investigations at the Neemtone Palaeolithic Complex, Central Narmada Basin, Madhya Pradesh. Man and Environment 49(1): 9-23.

Srinivas, A. 2024b. Palaeolithic investigations at Morpani, Central Narmada Basin, India. Archaeological Research in Asia 40: 100559.
DOI: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352226724000606 

Srinivas, A. and N. Lahiri. 2024. Report: Peering into the Prehistoric Past of Bandhavgarh National Park, central India. Journal of Lithic Studies 11(1): 14 p. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2218/jls.8972 [https://journals.ed.ac.uk/lithicstudies/article/view/8972 

Ramanuja, S. and Akash Srinivas. 2024. Vasudeva-Kamalaja. Kala: The Journal of Indian Art History Congress, 28 (2023-2024): 123-126.

Upcoming Engagements

2026: 23rd Congress of the Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association (Yogyakarta, INDONESIA: 2 November, 2026 to 7 November, 2026)

• Session Organiser, Session 09: Addressing a Burning Need: Using the Experimental Approach to Better Understand Ancient Technologies [https://www.ippasecretariat.org/ippa2026/sessions/s09] 

• Presenter, It’s Hammer Time: Characterising Percussion Elements in Lithic Assemblages, Session 09: Addressing a Burning Need: Using the Experimental Approach to Better Understand Ancient Technologies [https://www.ippasecretariat.org/ippa2026/sessions/s09/s09-a6]

• Co-Presenter, A Scan A Day, Keeps the Dust Away: A Digital, Analytical and Experimental Approach to Understand the Lithic Technology of the South Asian Palaeolithic, Session 09: Addressing a Burning Need: Using the Experimental Approach to Better Understand Ancient Technologies
  [https://www.ippasecretariat.org/ippa2026/sessions/s09/s09-a1]

• Co-Presenter, On Delhi’s Palaeolithic Trails: Reinvestigations into the Prehistoric Landscape of the Northern Aravallis, Session 15: PALAEOHOME - Palaeolithic Hominins and Habitats: Debating Regional Variability in Lower Palaeolithic Technological Strategies
  [https://www.ippasecretariat.org/ippa2026/sessions/s15/s15-b4] 

• Co-Presenter, Shaping Narratives and Bridging the Gap: Connecting Digital Realms, Community, and Heritage, Session 56: Futures of Archaeology and Heritage in the Indo-Pacific: Interdisciplinary, Organisational, and Community-Centred Approaches
  [https://www.ippasecretariat.org/ippa2026/sessions/s56/s56-a5]

2027: 22nd International Quaternary Association (INQUA) Congress (Lucknow, INDIA: 28 January, 2027 to 3 February, 2027)

• Presenter, The Prehistoric Trails of Bandhavgarh and Beyond, Session 177: Human Adaptation during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene in India: A Micro-Regional Approach

• Presenter, Lithic technological variability in the South Asian Palaeolithic: Insights from a typo-technological and reduction sequence analysis of select Palaeolithic techno-complexes from India, Session 84/145: PalaeoHome and Beyond: Global Perspectives on the Lower Palaeolithic

• Co-Presenter, Contextualising Variability in the Lower Ghataprabha Basin (southern India): Assessing Slow-Accumulating Palimpsests as a Model to Understand Colluvial Contexts, Session 194: Geoarchaeology and Site Formation Process in Palaeolithic Sites of Asia

• Co-Presenter, Days of Future Past: Digitally Documenting the South Asian Palaeolithic, Session 35: Archaeological Heritage, Sustainability, and Natural Hazards – Challenges and Innovations for the Future
   

STAY TUNED FOR MORE UPDATES!!