Skand Manjul is on route to becoming a professional dentist, yet he is equally captivated by the excitement of archaeology, a field that fuels his passion. His journeys take him to fascinating monuments and historical sites, feeding his deep passion for history and science.

While Skand has participated in numerous archaeological excavations, his interest leans more towards human and animal remains recovered during the excavations.

It’s not wrong to say that Skand was born into archaeology. His mother and father are both renowned archaeologists credited for some major excavations such as sinauli , rakhigarhi, 4Msr etc .Skand has witness a part of all those excavations.When he was just 2 years old, he joining his parents at sites such as Adibadri and Mardkhera. Although too young to understand much, during these early experiences, he had the opportunity to witness antiquities from different eras across India.

His involvement in archaeology continued throughout his childhood. Ahome Raja’s palace and Ambari in Assam were the sites where he began to absorb the wealth of knowledge surrounding him and learned to apply it effectively, all while carrying a small knife.

His true interest in archaeology flourished during the excavations at Raja Vishal Ka Ghadh and Kholhua, where he noticed many people trying to learn what he already seemed to know instinctively, as if it ran in his blood. This led him to ask numerous questions and fill in the gaps in his understanding.

During the excavation at 4MSR, his knowledge and passion for archaeology expanded significantly. He became eager to explore archaeological sites, collect artifacts, and delve into their purposes and historical significance. He even made some noteworthy finds during this time, such as finding seals, chert weights, blades, copper figures,bull figurine and even human figurines of the Harappan era from nearby sites in exploration.

His parents played a pivotal role in shaping his archaeological knowledge. The excavation of Sinauli exposed him to the multifaceted nature of archaeology. It was not solely about history, exploration, and artifacts; it was about understanding how people lived, their daily lives, and their customs. He began to formulate theories based on his observations, which he discussed enthusiastically with his parents, who further provided guidance and filled in the gaps in his understanding.

One significant contribution he made was suggesting find of artifact from the warrior burial as chariot , which later proved to be accurate.

Joined from medical field he suggested use of multiple new modern scientific tools and medical equipment such as CT scans and xrays or using dental equipment in excavating minute artefacts and burials turned out to be a boon for excavations. Today, his father often discusses his theories with his mother and invites him to participate as a valued critic.

Recently, he have proven to be an valuable person in the excavation of Rakhigarhi, where he worked on burials, helped identify medieval burials, and conducted multiple scientific studies and learned DNA studies with the help of the senior scientist at Birbal Sahni Institute on both modern and ancient burials and worked on the same ancient dna . He have also worked with Dr.Sathe on ancient cat bones of Sinauli and Rakhigarhi.

He have attended multiple seminar, conferences, and workshops and also have presented in some of them. He also lobe to enthusiasticly intract with scholar trying to learn more and new ways which can be applied in archaeology.

Throughout his journey, he had the privilege of visiting numerous historical sites in the northeastern region, exploring forts, mosques, and temples in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. He has ventured as far as the easternmost border at charaideo and to Laila-Majnu Ki Tila on the Rajasthan-Pakistan border. These experiences have not only deepened his understanding of archaeology but have also fueled his passion for unraveling the mysteries of rich cultural heritage.

Apart form this skand also have a interest in art ,music he himself paints on his shoes and clothes.He also have won multiple awards in painting competition

Excavations.

• RAKHIGARHI (session-2021- 22 and 2022- 23)

1. Participated in field excavations at Rakhigarhi and scientifically exposed many human burials.

2. Collected samples for DNA under the guidance of senior scientist and DNA experts Dr. Neeraj Roy, Birbal Sahani Institute of Paleo Sciences, Lucknow

3. Worked as a trainee at the lab under his guidance for DNA sampling and preparation of samples for Isotopic analysis, XRF, XRD etc in June 2022.

• SINAULI Discovery of the

Century

1. Participated in the excavation and studied human burial as well as animal remains – under the guidance of Prof. Vijay Sathe, Deccan College.

2. Also worked in preservations of Artefacts with Dr Manjul

3. Working on copper weapons of copper board culture to understand the association of ancient weapons in warfare such as Mahabharata

• BINJOR

1. Harappan Site is located in Ganga Nagar on the Indo- Pak

• BARNAWA

1. A Painted Greyware Site popularly known as Mahabharata pottery.