Selected Essays on History and Archaeology

The book under review is a commemoration volume in honour of the late Professor Abu Imam (1928–2007), an archaeologist and historian of ancient Bengal who, in 1985, had the unique distinction of founding the Archaeology Department at Jahangir Nagar University, Bangladesh, the only archaeology department at any university in Bangladesh.

Abu Imam graduated from the History Department of Dacca University in 1950 and passed his Master’s degree the following year. His brilliant results earned him a scholarship to study abroad. He went to London University and was awarded an M.A. in archaeology from University College London in 1956 and a Ph.D. in archaeology from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, in 1963. Abu Imam was fortunate to have among his tutors some eminent British archaeologists and Professors such as Sir Mortimer Wheeler, Arthur Llewellyn Basham, V. Gordon Childe and

K. de B. Cordington. He subsequently taught at the History Department of Dacca University, initially as a Lecturer, then as a Reader and was promoted to Professor in the History Department at Rajshahi University, and thereafter at Jahangirnagar University.