Sharada Srinivasan

Prof. Sharada Srinivasan is Professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru. She was elected International Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2021 in Archaeology. She received the Padmashri, the fourth highest civilian award from Government of India in Archaeology in 2019.  Sharada has made pioneering contributions to the study of archaeology and history of art from the perspective of exploring engineering applications.  

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, ASI amongst others. Prof. Sharada Srinivasan is a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and World Academy of Art and Science.

Her awards include the INAE Indian National Academy of Engineering Woman Engineer in Academia 2021 Award, Distinguished IITB Alumnus Award, Dr. Kalpana Chawla Young Women Scientist Award for 2011, the Indian Institute of Metals, Certificate of Excellence 2007, Materials Research Society of India Medal 2006, Malti B. Nagar Ethnoarchaeology Award (2005), DST-SERC Young Scientist Fellowship, Flinders Petrie Medal 1989 from University of London, Materials Research Society Graduate Student Award 1996, DST Nurture Scheme and Young Scientist Awards and the British Chevening Scholarship for her Phd work. She was Forbes Research Associate at the Department of Scientific Research and Conservation, Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, USA in 1999 and Homi Bhabha Fellow at Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore from 1996-98.  She has been a co-recipient of international awards from UKIERI, UK, (on pioneering iron and steel metallurgy), AHRC, UK, (on interfaces between archaeology and drama), SSHRC Canada, Royal Society, UK, and National Science Foundation, USA.  

She is first author of the book ‘India’s Legendary Wootz Steel’,  contributing author to ‘Ecstasy of Classical Art’, the bronze catalogue of National Museum, Delhi and co-editor of ‘Digital Hampi’ and ‘Performing on the Periphery’.  She is on the Standing Committee of the international Beginning of the Use of Metals and Alloys Conference.  She has been an accomplished exponent of the classical dance form of Bharata Natyam and has given lecture-demonstrations such as on the artistic and scientific perspectives on the Chola Nataraja bronzes at Royal Academy of Arts, London (2007) and with a photo-exhibition at Space City, Toulouse (2009) apart from national venues.  She earned her PhD from the Institute of Archaeology, University College London (1996) on Archaeometallurgy of South Indian bronzes; MA from School of Oriental & African Studies, London (1989) and BTech in Engineering Physics from IIT Bombay (1987).