John Marshall (archaeologist)

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Sir John Hubert Marshall (March 19, 1876 Chester - August 17, 1958 Guildford) was the Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India from 1902 to 1928. He was responsible for the excavation that lead to the discovery of Harappa and Mohenjodaro, two of the main cities that comprise the Indus Valley Civilization.

Statues excavated by John Marshall from Sirkap level 2 (Later Saka to Parthian, circa 1-60 CE). These finding combine: Hellenistic gods (left), Gandharan women (center left), possibly some of the first images of the Buddha (center right), and images of Bodhisattvas (right). "Taxila III", John Marshall, plates 148-149.

Marshall was educated at Cambridge. In 1902 he was appointed Director-General of Archaeology within the British Indian administration, and modernised the approach to archaeology on that continent, introducing a programme of cataloguing and conservation of ancient monuments and artefacts.

It was thanks to Marshall that native Indians were allowed for the first time to participate in excavations in their own country. In 1913, he began the excavations at Taxila, which lasted for twenty years. He laid the foundation stone for the Taxila museum in 1918. The museum hosts many artifacts and also hosts one of Marshall's very few potraits. He then moved on to other sites, including the Buddhist centres of Sanchi and Sarnath. His work revealed to the world the true age of Indian civilisation.

Marshall was knighted in 1914.