INVESTIGATIONS IN THE GHAGGAR-GANGA BASINS untrained. The work was done almost in an amateur fashion by man anxious to do well but not sufficiently trained and experienced to know what good work is.3 Keeping in view the general state of archaeological research, the suggestions of Leonardo Wholley 4 and the imperatives of scientific enquiry Wheeler immediately after assuming office restored the excavation branch, appointed a Superintendent for pre and protohistory in 1946 and began excavation at the famous early historical site of Taxila. He wanted to dig this site on a sustained basis down to the natural soil with the twin objectives of ascertaining the chronological cultural sequence and giving scientific methods of excavation to personnels from universities, societies and the survey. Further in order to liberate the archaeological activities from the monopoly of the civil servants to the free initiative of the educated public5 he constituted a "Central Advisory Board of Archaeology" consisting of representatives of universities, societies and government (centre and state) in 19456. The other objectives of the Board were to review archaeological activities, to identify archaeological problems and to advise the government to pursue them at the national level in collaboration with universities and societies. Training being central to all archaeological activities he underlined the need of an archaeological school for this purpose which came into existence, but in 1959.7 The need of archaeological training prompted Ghosh to comment in 1960 that "A pre-requisite to an expansion of archaeological activities in the country is training, for it goes without saying that lack or inadequacy of training would lead to unskilled work and unreliable results, which are worse than no work and no results".8 Wheeler stressed the importance of stratigraphy and the full recording of the artifacts from a stratum without any discrimination in archaeological excavations for if these are missed once they are lost for ever.9 He went further to suggest that the identification and delineation of the strata and their material exposed are very crucial for archaeological studies. Still more important to him was their scientific interpretation which depended upon impartial reading of the section with accurate observation, clear thinking and experience.10 Thus he introduced the concepts of stratigraphy, faithful recording of the artifacts and objective analysis in archaeological studies. According to him this was the time when scientific development had become synonymous with the progress in the planning of India's future, therefore the study of man should not be bereft of it.