Sharada Srinivasan

🪔 About

Sharada Srinivasan is a distinguished Indian archaeologist and archaeometallurgist, also recognized as an acclaimed exponent of Bharatanatyam, a classical dance style from South India. Born on January 16, 1966, in Bangalore, she pursued a unique academic path, earning a B.Tech in Engineering Physics from IIT Bombay in 1987. She furthered her studies with an M.A. in Art, Archaeology, and Archaeometallurgy from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London, in 1989, and a Ph.D. in Archaeometallurgy from University College London in 1996. Her career is primarily centered at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) in Bengaluru, where she is a professor in the School of Humanities, specializing in the scientific study of art, archaeology, and archaeometallurgy. Srinivasan has made pioneering contributions to understanding ancient Indian metallurgy, including the characterization of Wootz steel and South Indian bronzes. Alongside her scientific endeavors, Sharada Srinivasan is an accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer. She began her dance training around the age of 10 and has performed and given numerous lecture-demonstrations at prestigious venues such as the Royal Asiatic Society and the Royal Academy of Arts. She often integrates her artistic and scientific passions, exploring the connections between art, science, and dance, particularly in relation to the iconic Nataraja bronze. Her work includes exhibitions like "Danse e-Toile: Nataraja et le Cosmos" in France and "Cosmic Dance of Shiva" in Bangalore, which highlight these interdisciplinary links. While she is an acclaimed performer, the available sources do not indicate that she has founded a classical dance academy or is widely recognized as a guru with a substantial teaching legacy in Indian classical dance. Awards & Honours: Padma Shri in Archaeology (2019), International Honorary Member of American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2021), Dr. Kalpana Chawla Young Woman Scientist Award (2011), Indian Institute of Metals Certificate of Excellence (2007), Materials Research Society of India Medal (2006), Malti B. Nagar Ethnoarchaeology Award (2005), Materials Research Society Graduate Student Award (1996), Flinders Petrie Medal (1989), Homi Bhabha Fellowship (1996), Forbes Research Associate (1999), Fellow of Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, Fellow of World Academy of Art and Science.