International Conference on Reconstructing the Human Population Histories of South Asia Using Archaeology and Genetics

Abstract

T International Conference on ‘Reconstructing the human population histories of South Asia using Archaeology and Genetics,’ was held during 7-9 June 2023 at CCAS, University of Kashmir, Srinagar. The conference was held under the umbrella of Emerging Insights on Human Histories and Past Environments in South Asia and was funded by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India under Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. It was jointly organized by Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow, India and University of Kashmir, Srinagar, India. The conference aimed at exchanging research works and ideas from different fields of archaeology, genetics, anthropology, computational biology, geosciences, archaeobotany and zooarchaeology, encouraging a multidisciplinary approach towards investigations in palaeosciences. This meeting was an opportunity to discuss modern scientific research as well as analysis tools. The conference was attended by ~60 experts in different associated fields of palaeosciences from all over the world, including UK, Chicago, Texas, and South Korea and several participants from India. The Inaugural Session began with the National Anthem and Kashmir University Taraana, followed by lighting the lamp by the Chief Guest, Minister of State for Culture and External Affairs, Government of India, Smt Meenakshi Lekhi. The Honorable Minister was accompanied by Shri Sanjeev Sanyal, Member, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), Government of India, Prof. Partha Partim Majumder, Founder Director, National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, Kalyani, India, Prof. Nilofer Khan, Vice Chancellor, University of Kashmir, and Prof Kumarswamy Thangaraj, Director and Chief Scientist, Center for DNA Fingerprinting & Diagnostics, CSIR-CCMB, Journal of Palaeosciences 72(2023): 63–65 2583-4266/2023 https://doi.org/10.54991/jop.2023.1861