In 1936, at the invitation of the local government, he conducted an archaeological and historical survey ofKotah, and made many discoveries there, including the excavation of many old forts and temples; the most important of his discoveries from this expedition were three stone pillars dated to the year 295 of theVikrama Era (AD 238), the second-oldest Vikrama inscriptions known.[4][10] From 1951 to 1955 he led another excavation atKumhrar, under the auspices of the Jayaswal Institute; his discoveries there confirmed the theories ofDavid Brainard Spooner that the site, which Altekar described as "probably the earliest huge stone-pillared structure to be built by Indian architects", was a relic of theMaurya Empire.[11][12] On display at thePatna Museum is a casket excavated by Altekar at a Buddhist monastery nearVaishali in 1958, said to contain the ashes of theBuddha.[13][14][15]
Altekar corresponded in 1932 withGandhi concerningHinduism and theuntouchable castes.[16] His 1934 bookEducation in Ancient India[17][18] provided a comprehensive review of all aspects ofeducation in India until around AD 1200, with some additional treatment of topics up to the start of theBritish Raj.[19] In his book, Altekar collected extensive historical information on education in India fromSanskrit, Brahminic,Pali andBuddhist literature, along with inscriptions and accounts by foreign travellers. He also included defects in his study in the last chapter.[19] In the book, Altekar proposes a theory of steady decline in Indian literacy from an earlier golden age, which later scholars such as Hartmut Scharfe dismissed as "sheer phantasy".[20] Scharfe called Altekar an apologist, that his anti-British theory may have been influenced by his participation in the freedom struggle against British colonialism in 1930s when the book was first published. Scharfe acknowledges Altekar collected useful historical information.[20][21]
Altekar's bookThe Position of Women in Hindu Civilization From Prehistoric Times to the Present Day (1938)[22] was the first historical survey of the status ofwomen in India.[2]
In 1947 Altekar was elected the first chairman of theNumismatic Society of India,[27] and in 1960 theJournal of the Numismatic Society of India published a commemorative volume in his honour.[1] Altekar also chaired the All India Oriental Conference in 1958.[28]
^Professor Anant Sadashiv Altekar commemoration volume", Journal of the Numismatic Society of India, 22, 1960
^Moraes, G., 1959, January. PANEGYRIC UPON THE LIFE AND WORK OF THE LATE Dr. AS ALTEKAR. In Proceedings of the Indian History Congress (pp. 8-12). Indian History Congress.
