In Defence of the Realm

About the Author: The author, an archaeologist and heritage consultant, was born in 1965 in Nagpur, India. He grew up in Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay), but spent his formative years in the Philippines and then USA. He later went to the Universities of Toronto and Texas where he specialised in the search for oil and gas. In 1992, he was offered the opportunity to excavate as part of the Archaeological Survey of India's excavation at the 5000-year-old Harappan Civilisation city of Dholavira on the island of Khadir in the Great Rann of Kutch. He excavated at Dholavira till 1998 and dug out parts of the city, the citadel, and the cemetery complex, as well as parts of the reservoir system, including a water storage tank and a dam. After getting married in 1999 to a fellow archaeologist, Deshpande and his wife joined the joint Deccan College and University of Pennsylvania team excavating at the Ahar Culture site of Gilund (2500-1700 BC), where they found many new facets of that culture. The most important of these include the presence of a written script, the oldest tandoor (clay oven), the oldest 'Nandi' bull figurine, and a beautifully maintained road with wheel tracks and repaired potholes. Since 1999, he has also been actively working to promote, preserve, and protect the vast cultural and natural heritage in and around the city of Pune where he lives. He is also an active photographer and trekker who enjoys exploring new places.