An archaeologist of International repute, Professor B.B. Lal was the Director General, Archaeological Survey of India, from 1968 to 1972. In the latter year, when he was only 51, he took voluntary retirement to pursue his research programmes independently. First he joined Jiwaji University, Gwalior, as a Professor and later the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla, of which he was also the Director. Professor Lal?s excavations cover a very wide range-from palaeolithic times to early historical. At Kalibangan, Rajasthan, he unearthed a prosperous city of the Indus Civilization. The excavations at Hastinapura, Indraprastha, etc. have established that there was a kernel of truth in the Mahabharata, even though the epic is full of interpolations. Likewise, his excavations at Ayodhya, Sringaverapura, etc. have indicated that the Ramayana too has a basis in history. In 1961, he conducted excavations in Egypt also, which threw valuable light n Egyptian prehistory. His publications include over 150 seminal research papers, published in scientific journals, both in India and abroad: USA, UK, France, Italy, Russia, Egypt, Afghanistan, Japan, etc. Amongst his latest books are: The Earliest Civilization of South Asia (1977); India ? 1947-97: New Light on the Indus Civilization (1998); In 1994, Professor Lal was awarded D. Litt. (Honoris causa) by Institute of Archaeology, St. Petersburg, Russia. The same year he was elected President of World Archeological Congress. He has been Chairman and member of several Committees of UNESCO. At home, in 1976 Asiatic Society, Bengal, awarded him S.C. Chakarvarti Medal; in 1979 Nava Nalanda Mahavihara conferred on him honorary degree of Vidya Varidihi; in 1982 Mithila Visvavidyalaya honoured him with the title of Mahamahopadhyaya. In 1991 three distinctions were conferred on him, respectively by the Indian Science Congress, Indian Archaeological Society and Asiatic Society, Bombay. In recognition of his multi-faceted contribution
