Born and raised in Bangalore, India, I took a liking to all things old at a very young age. This led me on a path towards archaeology and prehistory. I chase all things stones and bones (fossils included), and focus my attention on stone tool technologies of the Palaeolithic. I am interested in figuring out what 'makes us human', and when 'we became human' (in the general sense of the term). This broad interest has taken me to various countries and regions, and lets me indulge in a broad field of interests, including studying stone tool collections, hominin and faunal skeletal elements, geology and landscapes, art and symbolism, as well as theories in archaeological, prehistoric and palaeoanthropological studies.
Assistant Director
Centre for Interdisciplinary Archaeological Research
Ashoka University, Sonipat, INDIA
(1 August, 2025 onwards)
[https://www.ashoka.edu.in/profile/akash-srinvas/]
Adjunct Faculty
Health and Humanities Division
S.L. Bhatia History of Medicine Museum, Library & Archives
St. John's Research Institute, Bangalore, INDIA
(15 April, 2023 onwards)
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 ).
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!
Srinivas, A. and S. Diwakar. in press. (Colonial) Shadows of the Tomb Raider: The Portrayal of Archaeology and Exploration of South Asia. In Tomb Raider at 30: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Legacy of Lara Croft (N. Le Clue ed.). Leeds: Emerald Publishing Limited
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.
2025: Delving into the Deccan: Conversations across disciplines (Sonipat, INDIA: 7 November, 2025 to 8 November, 2025)
Presenter, 'The Prehistoric Peoples of the Plateau', Session 2: Early Life on the Deccan Plateau
STAY TUNED FOR MORE UPDATES!!