Testimonials​

Abhimanyu Kalsotra

Department of History
University of Delhi

My association with Speaking Archaeologically took me on a deep dive in to the world of academic writing with the best of resource persons. The constant support of the peers, engaging activities, push to do better, vigour to improve writing, and loads of academic stimulation is something that Speaking Archaeologically stood for and that’s how I will remember it.

"I've always intended to pursue a career as an archaeologist, but I didn't know where to start. Also, I saw a poster for Speaking Archaeologically's intern recruitment programme during my second year of undergraduate, and I instantly applied. Becoming a part of the organization's Research Wing will help you develop your writing abilities while also putting your critical thinking skills to use, learning museum object documentation, covering sites, and much more. The organization provided me with free lectures from renowned academics from prestigious institutions, opening a door to opportunities for me to present my paper at national and international conferences. This allowed me to advance and develop my skills. Speaking Archaeologically only has been a rewarding experience for me in many facets of my career, and it enabled me to get a place at one of the top universities in the world!"

Nidhi Patel

Institute of Archaeology
UCL, London

Merlyn Singh

Department of History, Cultures, Civilisation-DISCI
University of Bologna, Italy

"Archaeology has always been a subject of interest to me but it is with Speaking Archaeologically that I took my first steps toward realizing what it means to be an archaeologist. I came across the organization during one of the many lecture sessions they organize. Soon after, I joined the research wing and started my archaeological journey. It won't be a lie if I were to say that this organization helped me explore my potential, in more ways than one. With endless research papers, presentations, and critical archaeological thinking at my university, I realized how Speaking Archaeologically benefitted me. Lastly, I hope to give back to this organization the values and skills I learn along my archaeological journey. Though getting introduced to Speaking Archaeologically seems coincidental to me but the relationships I've formed during my term here with archaeology and my colleagues will always be precious."

Anubhav Preet Kaur Nirankari

PhD Scholar,
Palaeolithic Archaeology,
IISER, Mohali

"It is with Speaking Archaeologically where I started seeing things critically. I was a student of History, but it is with SA that I was initiated into being researcher. I was a member of the Research Wing for about two years. My journey with it has been really exciting. There were so many aspects of archaeology that I was introduced to through all the workshops and museum visits. From handling material culture to conducting literature survey for writing articles, it has been all worth it. In a country like India, where archaeology is never an ideal career option, SA is working at making one. The best part of it has been that SA lets you start from the very basic, helps you grow and choose your own path in archaeology."

"Being an anthropology student, I think it becomes important for us to understand how man has been associating himself with material environment and the cultural milieu in the past. What I find the best about Speaking Archaeologically is the different ways it provides students to interact with the past. It doesn't necessarily have to be about writing Research Papers. You can blog, take pictures, sketch sites and sculptures-anything that's helpful in keeping history alive for you. The most important thing I learnt here is that even the little things of the past are there for us to conserve, admire and learn from."

Priyanshu Mehta

Department of Anthropology, Panjab University, Chandigarh

Rakshanda Thakur

Department of Ancient History and Archaeology Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute, Pune

"I think the most appropriate word to describe my experience in Speaking Archaeologically is "enriching." The two most important things I have learnt here are Conservation and Awareness. I think both of these go hand in hand because when aware, we do try to conserve the past. We have so many material artefacts that are handed down for generations in our family and we are not even aware of their significance. When aware, we become stakeholders in their documenting and conservation and that is essentially what the team at Speaking Archaeologically is doing by involving the youth in it and spreading awareness about the past."

"Who would have thought that I would come across Speaking Archaeologically via an Instagram Live amidst the pandemic! I still remember messaging Shriya Ma’am after listening to her interview on the InArch Centre Instagram handle about finding an appropriate direction to get into the field of archaeology. I was so happy that I got recruited in the SA Research Wing in June 2020. Since then, my journey with Speaking Archaeologically is something that I can always be grateful for. My experience altogether here has been phenomenal. From learning every little detail about research writing to digitising heritage; from exploring and learning the ancient scripts to attending the fantastic lecture series by various National and International scholars on the emerging concepts and ideas in heritage studies; from site covers in between the pandemic to meeting the SA family at Nashik in January, 2022, I have gained so many unforgettable experiences. I always wanted to contribute to the heritage sector, and believe me there is no better place than Speaking Archaeologically! I am so proud to be a part of this family."

Devyani Doshi

Department of Conservation
National Museum Institute
New Delhi

Ira Bhatnagar

Department of Ancient History and Archaeology,
Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda,
Gujarat


"I am a student of Archaeology and I joined Speaking Archaeologically through a friend of mine who was an existing member. I think things changed for me the minute I joined because I was so amazed to see how people here were so passionate about Archaeology! My time here translates to the most productive years of my life! I have made visited sites, made videos on them and learnt how to put all that information into a research paper. Speaking Archaeologically gives you the perfect atmosphere for productivity. The while team is constantly working to give is the best possible knowledge, lecture series, discussion sessions and tasks. My perspective towards Archaeology has completely changed and my love for it has only grown in the process."

"I have always been fascinated by history and wanted to contribute my share to bringing out the awareness for the lost heritage. It was during my final year of graduation that I incidentally attended the orientation of Speaking Archaeologically. That was the first time that something moved me, and I wanted to join the organization. After, joining the organisation I got to work on numerous research papers, got to visit different sites and it really helped to improve my knowledge towards History and made me approach history from a totally different angle. This was something that is not taught in our institutions. It was the first time that I got to learn practically, which enhanced the longevity of the information I got from the organization. It was not only that I got to write research papers, but also, I got to discover the forgotten heritage and got to write blogs about it. I got to learn numismatics, epigraphy and much more in this organization. The guidance that is given here,is something which is quite rare. Speaking Archaeologically has acted as a platform that has guided me towards my passion and helped me explore the side I didn't know about."

Rattan Kaur Rainu

Department of Conservation
National Museum Institute

"My journey has been MAGICAL. I have learnt a lot of things at Speaking Archaeologically, which has helped hone my skills as an archaeological researcher. My entire experience in research writing has improved a lot. We have learned about Numismatics, we had workshops on Experimental Archaeology and recently, we have started learning Brahmi! Can you imagine opening your history textbooks and actually being able to read the Ashokan Inscriptions? Moreover, we have explored so many sites, we never thought we'd land up on and there are so many bright and brilliant people in the Research Wing to share your experiences with. It really is like a family!"

Diptarka Datta

Department of Ancient History and Archaeology Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute, Pune

Simran Kaur Saini

Institute of Archaeology
UCL, London

"I have always been passionate about Archaeology and in college, I suddenly came across Speaking Archaeologically and joined in. From doing site covers, making plans, documenting them (even running away from dogs) to actual researchwork, it has been an amazing experience! The team here is really helpful. They actually guide you step by step. They correct you and make you practise harder and harder. It's not just about finding new things but also about the stories behind them and connecting different dots as you work together in a team."

"Speaking Archaeologically has been a great learning experience for me. I come from a History background and we often use to come across the relevance of "material culture". However, we never were able to deal with them in the discipline itself. Speaking Archaeologically is a great platform with great mentors who help us not only in writing research papers but also in how to deal with this material culture, making our understanding of history more fruitful and insightful. Their harping about the idea of drawing connections which move beyond present day boundaries make the experience wholesome. Thank you to the panel for their hardwork to make our experience more enriching."

Medha Sharma

Social Science Faculty, MA(P) History
Hindu College,
University of Delhi

Arushi Dalal

MA, History of Art Panjab University, Chandigarh


"When I first came across Speaking Archaeologically, I thought art and archaeology are two really different fields; but what this platform did was it helped me establish a strong connection between art and archaeology. From Cave Paintings to Pottery, from Sculptures to Miniature Paintings and Architecture, I was really able to relate my field with Archaeology. I am glad I went for it. One of the best decisions of my life!"

"There is nothing that can compare to to the knowledge I received at the Research Wing. Meeting everyone personally to working with them both online and offline was an experience I would always cherish and draw inspiration from. The encouragement I recieved were incomparable. During my time at the Research Wing, I learned so much! It will be difficult to fill the emptiness. Speaking Archaeologically has taught me a lot of what I know about archaeology today. From my first site cover to Digital Archaeology, I have been able to explore topics and understand a wider scope of archaeology. Later when I can, I would love to come back to the Research Wing and work on improving what I have learned at the organisation."

Sanskriti Singh

Department of Ancient History and Archaeology,
Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Gujarat

Gunjan Mitra

Department of History, Lady Shri Ram College
University of Delhi

"I have learnt a lot about research paper writing and the methodology of research itself during the course of this class. During the course of evaluation, I have realised that there are many things I need to unlearn and revisit some of my approaches to writing a paper. The class itself has been a very interesting introduction to the field of archaeology and has helped me understand better where my strengths and skills lie. I look forward to learning further. Thank you!"

"The environment of professionalism and support that I find in the Speaking archeologically was a thing that I find most interesting. The guidance that Panel had provided me with important impetus to my writing. The masterclass was very engaging and informative. Overall, my experience with Speaking Archeologically was excellent. I learned a great deal, improved my skills, and felt supported every step of the way."

Satish Kumar

Department of History
University of Delhi