The site of Harappa was first briefly excavated by which one of the following?

Correct option is C

The correct answer is (C) Sir Alexander Cunningham

Explanation:

Sir Alexander Cunningham is credited with the first brief excavations at the Harappa site. In 1856, Cunningham, the first Archaeological Surveyor of India, discovered the remains of Harappa, though it was not extensively excavated until later by Rakhaldas Banerjee and others.

Information Booster:

• Sir Alexander Cunningham was an important figure in Indian archaeology and made several pioneering contributions, including the discovery of Harappa.

• He is often referred to as the "father of Indian archaeology."

• Cunningham's focus was on locating and cataloging ancient sites, particularly related to Buddhism, but his discovery of Harappa was instrumental in the recognition of the Indus Valley Civilization.

Additional Information:

• Rakhaldas Banerjee made the first significant excavations at Harappa in 1921.

• B.K. Thapar was a prominent archaeologist, but his work did not involve the initial discovery or early excavations of Harappa.

• Ernest J.H. Mackay was involved in later excavations at Mohenjo-Daro and other Indus Valley sites.