CHENNAI: The achievements of Robert Bruce Foote, a British geologist and archaeologist who pioneered the expedition of Indian prehistory by adopting scientific methods, have been documented in an interesting short film.Titled Robert Bruce Foote - The Father of Indian Prehistory, the short film that records the achievements of the man who documented the prehistory of India, particularly through material evidence from southern parts, was produced by a nature buff Ramesh Yanthra.
There was applause at the Museum Theatre in Egmore once the screening ended.
Foote’s first discovery of a hand tool was made in Chennai. He found a Paleolithic stone tool, a hand axe made of stone, on May 30, 1863, at Pallavaram in Chennai.
“The instinct to discern and see history in the stone tool spurred him to roam around with a mission in search of antiquities for about 40 years,” said S Singanenjam, former Director, Geological Survey of India (GSI).
Along with W King, Foote found another hand axe on September 28, 1863 at Attirampakkam located in Tiruvallur district.These findings were path-breaking in the search for material evidence to uncover the prehistory of India.His expeditions fetched him the title ‘Father of Indian Prehistoric Archaeology’.
Several of Robert Bruce Foote’s collections were deposited at the Government Museum, Egmore in 1906.