The location of the ancient city of Taxila (Takshshila), mentioned in ancient Indian texts, was identified by

The ancient city of Taxila (Takshashila), a major political and trade center mentioned in ancient Indian texts and Ashokan inscriptions, was first identified by Alexander Cunningham [3]. As the first Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Cunningham conducted extensive surveys in the mid-19th century to locate sites mentioned in historical records [1]. While Sir John Marshall later conducted the most extensive scientific excavations at Taxila between 1913 and 1934, uncovering its Indo-Greek and Buddhist remains, the initial identification of the site's location is credited to Cunningham's earlier survey work [4]. Other archaeologists like Daya Ram Sahni and R.D. Banerji are primarily associated with the discovery and excavation of Indus Valley sites like Harappa and Mohenjo-daro under Marshall's leadership [3].

Sources

1. [3] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART I, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: Kings, Farmers and Towns > 3.2 Administering the empire > p. 32
2. [1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 1: Early India: From the Beginnings to the Indus Civilisation > Nomenclature, Phases and Chronology > p. 10
3. [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Marshall_(archaeologist)
4. [2] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART I, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 1: Bricks, Beads and Bones > 10.2 A new old civilisation > p. 20