About Indraprastha Museum of Art and Archaeology

The Indraprastha Museum of Art and Archaeology was established under the auspices of the Indian Archaeological Society, as a Trust in 1997. The museum has a sizable collection of rare art and archaeological materials belonging to different cultural periods of Indian history.

The museum possesses a unique collection of some rare and finest specimen of prehistoric tools from different parts of the world, collected by late Dr. A.P. Khatri. Besides it houses a rich collection of Indian tools and fossils especially from Narmada Valley. The tools from other countries in the museum are well documented.

The Indian Archaeological Society has undertaken a project of modernization and re¬organization of the Indraprastha Museum of Art and Archaeology from the angle of "Ascent of Man from the Earliest Time to the Beginning of the Historical Period". The Main objective of the project is to make the museum more effective particularly in terms of display (with the help of dioramas, mock-ups, etc.) and narration (audio-visual aid, information labels, etc.). The exhibits are categorised from two angles, i.e. biological and cultural evolution of man. Different stages of human evolution along with the expansion of our early ancestors over of globe, has been displayed under first segment. The evolution of human culture starting from Palaeolithic through Mesolithic, Neolithic, Rise of City States: Indus Civilization, Copper Hoard and O.C.P, Chalcolithic period and Iron Age upto Second Urbanization / Mauryan period are covered in another section.

The prehistoric materials in the form of stone tools and implements belong to Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic periods, while the protohistoric materials in the form of pottery and other artifacts, belong to the Chalcolithic cultures and the Indus-Saraswati Civilization. The remains of the Historical Period belong to the Buddha’s periods, 6th-5th centuries BCE as well as Maurya, Sunga, Kushana, Gupta and Medieval periods. There are oil paintings, water colour paintings, pastel colour paintings and etchings, both old and contemporary. There are also stone sculptures, terracottas, ceramics and objects of other materials.