Option a is the correct answer. Alexander Cunningham is widely regarded as the father of Indian archaeology because of his pioneering work in exploring and documenting the rich cultural heritage of India. He was the first person to map the entire Indian subcontinent and publish the Archaeological Survey of India, which provided a detailed description of the monuments and archaeological remains left behind by past civilizations. He also collected and studied a large number of Indian coins, which helped him to reconstruct the history and chronology of various dynasties. Important Tips John Marshall: He was a British archaeologist and director-general of the Archaeological Survey of India from 1902 to 1928. He is best known for his excavations at Harappa and Mohenjo-daro, the two main sites of the Indus Valley Civilization. He also excavated other important sites such as Taxila, Sanchi, and Ajanta. Mortimer Wheeler: He was a British archaeologist and director-general of the Archaeological Survey of India from 1944 to 1948. He is famous for his excavations at Arikamedu, a Roman trading port in south India, and Charsada, a site related to Alexander the Great's invasion of India. He also introduced new methods and techniques of field archaeology, such as grid system, stratigraphy, and scientific dating. James Prinsep: He was a British scholar and antiquary who worked in India as an assay master at the mint and a secretary of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. He is renowned for his decipherment of the Brahmi and Kharosthi scripts, which enabled the reading of the edicts of Ashoka and other ancient inscriptions. He also contributed to the fields of numismatics, geology, meteorology, and history .