SOCIAL SCIENTIST The unprecedented creative efforts drew Sir Mortimer Wheeler's remarks that, "Today, no part of the world is better served in archaeological matters than is the Republic of India" (B. Subbarao, 1956). The advances in Indian archaeology were thereafter summarized by H.H. Sankalia, in his Heras Memorial Lectures (H.D. Sankalia, Indian Archaeology Today, Bombay, 1962). The major problems that attracted Indian archaeologists in the Archaeological Survey of India, universities and institutions included: (1) bridging the dark age between the Harappan and the early historic *(N.B.P.) period, and (2) discovering and excavating Harappan sites to compensate for the loss of Indus sites as a consequence of the partition of the country. The Protohistoric dark age was- narrowed down by the discovery of Painted Grey Ware, Malwa and Jorwe, pre-NBP black and red ware and the late Harappan cultures. Excavation at Kalibangan from 1960-61 onwards revealed the existence of a Pre-Harappan culture as well. A. Ghosh put forth a brilliant thesis about the genesis of the Harappan culture from the Sothi cultural substratum, extensively distributed in the Indus Valley and beyond (A. Ghosh, 'The Indus Civilisation: its origins, authors, extent and chronology', Indian Prehistory: 1964, (Eds.) V.N. Mishra and M.S. Mate, Poona, 1965, 113-156). Most Indian archaeologists tried to follow the line of science-based archaeology advocated by Sir Mortimer Wheeler. Archaeological investigations on sites mentioned in epics and other literary traditions have been carried out in India since the latter part of the 19th century. A. Curtningham explored the sites recorded by the Chinese pilgrim, Hieun Tsang. Taxila, Achichchhatra, Maheshwar3 Nasik, Mathura, Ujjain and a number of other sites, mentioned in this or that tradition, were excavated by eminent scholars. But B.B. Lal differs from others particularly because his primary goal was to use archaeological evidence from his excavation for substantiating the historicity of the Tradition. While looking forward to bridging the protohistoric dark age in the Gangetic Valley, B.B. LaPs choice of site for excavation particularly fell on Hasjinapura because it was associated with the tradition of the Mahabharata as the capital city of the Kauravas. Although the existing text' of the Mahabharata is dated between the 4th century B.C. and the 4th Century A.D., he assumed that there was a kernal of truth in the epic story going back to pre- Buddha times (pre 600 B.C.). He also believed that the most reasonable estimate of date of the Mahabharata battle (assumed for a fact) was the 9th or 10th century B.C. Believing the local tradition he took up excavation at the site today called Hastinapura. He assumed that it was this very site which buried the ruins of ancient Hastinapura city of the Mahabharata in the lowest levels. Thus he indirectly tried to push back the