The late Dr. Ahmad Hasan Dani was one of the subcontinent's most remarkable archaeologists. A Sanskritologist, he was the first Muslim to graduate from Benares Hindu University. He worked with Sir Mortimer Wheeler and helped him excavate Mohenjo-daro in 1945. After independence he taught in Dhaka, and wrote a classic work on east Indian archaeology.

Dr. Dani was known for his work on the Gandhara Buddhist period and on Central Asian studies. He published over 30 books. In 1949, he wrote the first article linking the Vedic "Hariyupiyah" with today's Harappa; in 1981 he edited Indus Civilization: New Perspectives. He also excavated the famous pre-Indus Civilization site of Rehman Dheri in northern Pakistan. Dr. Dani passed away on January 26th 2009 (aged 88).

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