Featured Pakistan: The Archaeological Marvel

[Kambojaric]

Tomb of Bahadur Khan to be opened for public by year end

LAHORE: The Punjab Archaeology Department has completed 80 per cent restoration and conservation work of the Khan-e-Bahadur Tomb whereas officials claim that the monument will be opened for public as work is expected to be completed till the end of this year.

According to the details provided by Archaeology Department, Bahadur Khan, entitled Khan-e-Jahan Bahadur, was an amir during the reign of Aurangzeb and was deputed to pursue Dara Shikoh during the war of succession. He died in 1678 A.D.

His mausoleum is situated close to the tomb of Nusrat Khan, near Railway Crossing B-II south of railway carriage shop, Lahore whereas the tomb is protected under Antiquity Act (Amended), 2012. The building is octagonal in plan with high arches on each side, made up of cut bricks with rich panelling effect.

An official of the department informed that the double dome of the tomb is slightly squated and is a fine specimen of its period. “It serves a link between Akbar-Shah Jahan period and the later Mughal period monuments of the mid-eighteenth century,” he said.

“The monument was badly damaged and in dire need of immediate repair to consolidate and preserve the structure. Protection of heritage is our prime responsibility for its safe transfer to the future generation,” the official maintained.

Punjab Archaeology Department Director Malik Maqsood informed this scribe that a project of Rs27 million was planned to conserve and restore the tomb by replacing the decayed and damaged brick masonry, consolidation of structure, restoration of dome, underpinning and repair of cracks, kankar lime floor terracing, lime plaster, geometric design floors of brick tiles and fresco work to avoid further damage and regain its original architectural glory.

Maqsood further informed that 80 per cent work has been completed and remaining will completed by the end of this year.

“The major objective of the scheme is to preserve and conserve the historical monument by retention of its historical authenticity, aesthetic beauty and cultural value as per international standards and to increase cultural awareness and tourism in the area.

After the completion of the project, it will help in the protection and promotion of historical sites of the country and will increase international awareness as well as tourism.

“Tourism can work as a big source of economic growth and poverty alleviation,” Maqsood opined.

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2020/04/22/tomb-bahadur-khan-opened-public-year-end/

 

[ghazi52]

Kos Minar near Railway Station - Lahore. 1923


These medieval milestones were made by Sher Shah Suri and later on by Mughal emperors from 1556 AD to 1707 AD to mark the royal route from Agra to Lahore via Delhi.

 

[ghazi52]

Peshawar’s Majestic Havelis

By Deneb Sumbul |




Jewel in the Crown

Boasting exquisite architecture and masonry, the Sethi Havelis are among Peshawar’s most prized possessions.

At the centre of Peshawar’s old walled city, near the Ghanta Ghar, Bazaar Kalan and Gor Khatree, on a small street called Mohallah Sethian, lies a veritable treasure trove: seven stately mansions — structural masterpieces of the 18th and 19th centuries — in a state of decay and disrepair.



The Mohalla was once an enclave of almost three dozen havelis belonging to the Sethis — one of the most



prominent merchant families of Peshawar. Originally Hindu Arora-Khatrees from the Punjab, they migrated to Peshawar from Jhelum in the 1730s and settled within the walled city, then a thriving trading post. There their family fortunes grew and they became extremely wealthy. Dealing mainly in timber, which they purchased at subsidised rates under the British Raj, the Sethis set up trade centres in Mazar-i-Sharif in Afghanistan and established international trading links with Central Asia, that extended upto Tashkent, Bukhara, Samarkand and other cities in Russia. They supplied merchandise to China, India and Iran as well.

They decided to convert to Islam, and adopted their profession as their surname — the `Seths’ (businessmen) became Sethis. They also came to be known for their expansive, uniquely-styled mansions, reminiscent of old havelis in Baghdad, with decorative elements originating in Samarkand, Bukhara, Iran and India.

The seven havelis in the Sethi Mohallah boast exquisite masonry and woodwork, which despite several decades of decay still bear testimony to their grandeur. Laced with ornate designs and heavy embellishments, their most striking feature is the delicate woodwork on the doors, balconies, windows, frames, columns and arches. The heavily engraved intricate floral and geometric designs are each carved by hand and the craftsmanship is of a kind that many carpenters say is not to be found in this day and age.






Each mansion is a three-storied structure comprising the tehkhana (or basement) containing spacious living rooms partitioned into two separate quarters for men and women, a balakhana (first floor) and a paved daalaan (courtyard) with a fountain at the centre. The roofs of all the havelis are connected by wooden bridges.

There is a cheenikhana in every home — reception rooms where once hung beautiful chandeliers, and exquisite art pieces and crockery from Samarkand and Bukhara were displayed on its chimney shelves. The walls of the room boasted exquisite craftsmanship, from aina-kari to manabat-kari to kasha-kari.

The haveli’s occupants drew their inspiration from the crafts and culture of Bukhara, Kashmir, Golcanda and Iran.

Spread across 33 marlas, the Sethi House was built by Seth Karim Bakhsh. Its construction began in 1835, and was completed after 49 years, in 1884. Limestone and Waziri, small Kashmiri bricks which are a common component of all buildings constructed in the Mughal era, were also used in the buildings.






A superbly carved entrance leads to the courtyard, paved with bricks, where people were entertained and businesses transacted. The Sethi House is built around the courtyard. It comprises 12 rooms and the windows of four of them face the courtyard, each from the same angle. They are embedded with red and green cut-pieces of glass that are reminiscent of the post-renaissance art of European churches. Colourful cut glasswork also adorns the doors. Another interesting feature of the Sethi havelis are the ceilings that are painted in a variety of colour combinations, and engraved with glass in geometric and Islamic designs.

Spiralling stairways lead to the four basements — the portioned living area for men and women, which remains cool even in the hottest of the summer months. The rooms have wooden cupboards, slanting window shades, chimneys and mehraabs (arches). The mehraabs have small glass shelves for holding candles at night.

Beautiful wooden ventilators are designed to ensure natural light and fresh air into the rooms, as are the mirrored atriums of Sethi House. A massive resting platform made of wood, known as the Takht-e-Sulemani, was built for the occupants to soak up the sun during the winter months. In the view of researchers, the Sethi House serves as a present-day model for green architecture.





It is rumoured that the Sethis had stashed away millions of Russian bonds and currency in their underground vault located in Sethi House. They remained wealthy until the Bolshevik revolution of 1917 that toppled the Czarist Empire. The wealth that the Sethis had amassed became worthless overnight, when the newly formed Soviet Union government adopted a new currency. With their fortunes and markets gone, their businesses dwindled, and their days of glory were over. Nevertheless, the family has left a rich heritage and the havelis remain one of Peshawar’s most prized possessions.

In 2013, after restoration work on the lower portion of the Sethi House was completed, Peshawar’s Archaeology Department opened the place to visitors. Plans are afoot to renovate the Sethi street from the main road to Sethi House and turn Mohallah Sethian into a tourist hub.

This article by Deneb Sumbul was published in September 2016 issue of Newsline.


The writer is working with the Newsline as Assistant Editor, she is a documentary filmmaker and activist.

 

[ghazi52]

Discovering ancient Khyber

by Abdur Rauf Yousafzai





Artifacts from ancient caves such as this one in Khyber could date back to the prehistoric era, even 30,000 years in the past?


The first ever archeological survey since the British colonial era in the Khyber Agency was conducted jointly by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Archaeological Department and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) administration.

KP Archaeology and Museums Director Dr. Abdul Samad announced that these authorities have unearthed some 110 archeological sites in Khyber Agency’s subdivision Jamrud. Three of them are 30,000 years old, Samad claimed.

Mullah Fazlullah aka ‘Radio Mullah’ termed the securing of archaeological sites as ‘idol worship’

The historical Khyber Pass has remained a gateway for the trade between Central and South Asia for millennia now. “This was an easy, cheap and peaceful route for Central Asian kingdoms and Europe to interact with South Asia,” stated Hidayat Khan, who has been writing about archaeological sites, culture and antiquities from northwestern Pakistan for several years now.

Hidayat reminds us that this part of the world witnessed thousands of years of ups and downs and as a vital node on the Silk Route, was equally used for business and warfare. Such a pattern may have existed since time immemorial until 1893, when this bordering area was taken by over by colonialist authorities from Afghanistan.

Grave from a 2- to 3,000-year-old cemetery in Swat, Pakistan
Antiquities in the region came under attack after the Khyber Agency became a launching pad used by ‘mujahideen’ and the ideological precursors of the Taliban in the war against the USSR. The world’s two largest standing Buddhas – one of them 165 feet high – were blown up by the Taliban in Afghanistan.


For hardliners, an archaeological site is sin. The Bamyan Buddhas were blown up using dynamite and tank-fire by the then ruling Mullah Omar’s ‘holy warriors’ although world leaders appealed to protect Buddhas – all in vain. In Pakistan’s Swat region, the Taliban ruined the face of the world largest carved Buddha in Jehanabad. Taliban leader Mullah Fazlullah aka ‘Radio Mullah’ termed the securing of archaeological sites as ‘idol worship’.

Italian archaeologist Luca Olivieri has done some critical work for the antiquities of northwestern Pakistan
Ever the optimist, Dr. Samad says that he hopes recent discoveries as well as general development in the area would usher in a new era of tourism and prosperity in this militancy-hit area, the Khyber Agency.


“Political Agent Khalid Mahmood approached us after his first visit to the tribal region when he took charge of his office and sought our technical assistance in discovering archaeological sites,” Dr. Abdul Samad tells me. The political agent said they began their work from the Jamrud subdivision and would extend the archaeological surveys to the adjoining Landi Kotal and Bara subdivisions and later to the remote and mountainous Tirah valley.

“This is just the beginning as we discovered these sites without any excavation. Right here, there could be prehistoric sites and even major settlements if an organised excavation was undertaken in FATA,” the political agent speculates. He said that besides these sites, there are 34 historic railway tunnels from the (relatively) recent era of British colonialism in the Khyber Agency and each tunnel was contracted out to local elders for protection.

Dr. Samad reveals that the historical sites of the area included ancient structures, rock art (particularly rock paintings), tunnels and bridges, including eight from the ancient, Buddhist period. He further added that the current excavations took a mere month and a half. He tells me that they didn’t use any machinery during their work. “Out of these 110 sites, three were 30,000 years old, and generally the range of sites includes the Buddhist-, Muslim- and British-dominated periods,” he added.

Rock carvings

Hidayat Khan talked about the protection and preservation of the sites. He indicated that since the KP Antiquities Act 2016 is not extended to FATA, the political administration lacks both the technical expertise and the capacity to preserve such sites. He believes, therefore, that the local administration must adopt the Italian Mission Swat paradigm – that of involving the locals.

Hidayat Khan tells me: “In Swat, the mission has involved the local population in excavation and preservation procedures, although they are not qualified archaeologists. And now, they are the real custodians of the sites!”

Dr. Rafiullah Khan teaches at the Taxila Institute of Asian Civilisations, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad. He noted in his research paper: “Community archaeology and cultural resource management are relatively recent developments in the field of archaeology. However, both are result-oriented in many ways. As community archaeology gives partial control of archaeological resources to local communities it creates a sense of belonging and ownership and, in turn, public awareness about its utility in communal life”. He adds that the Involvement of the community in the field has several complementary dimensions: it offers economic opportunities to the local people on the one hand and enhances archaeologists’ knowledge about the area and its antiquities on the other.

Ruins of Buddhist monasteries

According to Dr. Samad, there are some 6,000 archeological sites in KP and the number is doubled after the new discoveries in the Khyber Agency

Historically, the Khyber Agency remained part of ancient Buddhist Gandhara civilisation, which flourished in areas that today fall in Pakistan and Afghanistan from the mid-first millennium BCE to the beginning of the second millennium CE. Khalid Mehmood emphasises that the documentation of such sites is a major success for the political administration; as such steps were never taken in the past.


Based on historical documents, we can see that the first archaeological intervention in FATA, that of the colonial British administration, began modern archaeological research in South Asia in the early 19th century. This, of course, included the then North West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). During that time, they tried hard to conduct archaeological surveys in the Khyber Agency but due to the local security situation of the British Empire, they could not succeed in their work. According to Dr. Samad, there are some 6,000 archeological sites in KP and the number is doubled after the new discoveries in the Khyber Agency alone.

Mr. Khan further pointed out that KP is far behind the Punjab and Sindh governments in legislation vis-à-vis cultural heritage. Even the protected sites of KP are severely threatened and a large number of these have already been either encroached upon or completely destroyed. At present some sites only exist on paper; several important sites like Muhammad Nari and Ghaz Dherai in Charsadda no longer exist. They have been replaced by modern villages. A sound legal framework is needed in this context, especially in the wake of the devolution of archaeology from being a federal-level subject.

Dr. Luca Olivieri, head of the Italian archaeological mission in Swat opines that during the late phases of the Pleistocene (or more precisely, in the Upper Paleolithic) era, the climatic and morphological conditions were highly favourable to human settlements in the plain and in this context, climate conditions along the piedmont of the Karakorum and Himalayas are extremely important. For example, we know from several excavated sites in KP, that human groups were present here at least in the Upper Paleolithic times. Paleolithic tools were found also in lower Swat and Kashmir; in a period when glaciers would have prevented humans from living or moving around above 3,000 feet (two Paleolithic tools from the Kandak valley are on display in the Swat Museum).

Dr Luca states, “Yes, FATA’s archaeological heritage should be extremely rich. And illegal excavators are apparently aware of that. In fact, I think that most of the finds that are every year illegally excavated in KP, ending up in the international antiquities markets, come actually from the FATA.”

He further adds:

“Therefore, in the future, FATA should be properly explored and sites extensively excavated. FATA should have organised museums and permanent KP Archaeology offices. Excavated sites should be kept open to the public (and to school trips) and local communities should be involved in their custody, as was done in Swat. I don’t know any particular area that would deserve be explored first. Bajaur (already explored in the past by Dr. Ashraf Khan and Dr. Lutf-ur-Rehman) was certainly a pivotal area in ancient times. The agencies immediately to the west of Peshawar can be approached more easily, at least in terms of logistics. But one should not forget the frontier regions of Bannu and Kohat either.”

Abdur Rauf Yousafzai may be reached at journalist.rauf@gmail.com. He tweets at @raufabdur

 

[ghazi52]

پون چکی 1919ء، پکھے والا کھو، جہانیاں:

جنگ عظیم اول میں حصہ لینے کے اعزاز میں برطانوی سرکار نے گوجرہ سے تعلق رکھنے والے صوبیدار امام علی کو چک 131/10R تحصیل جہانیاں، ضلع خانیوال میں دو مربع زمین الاٹ کی۔ آپ گوجرہ کو الوداع کہہ کر اس چک میں آباد ہوگۓ۔ صوبیدار صاحب ایک باہمت، وضع دار، جدت پسند اور محنتی طبیعت کے حامل شخص تھے۔ جنگی ایام کے دوران فرانس میں پون چکی سے چلنے والا واٹر پمپ دیکھا جس سے متاثر ہو کر وہ ٹیکنالوجی اپنی زمین پر آزمانے کا ارادہ کیا۔ فرانس سے اس پون چکی کا ڈیزائن تیار کروایا۔ جب واپس آۓ تو مذکورہ بالا چک میں سکونت اختیار کی اور پون چکی تعمیر کرائ۔
ہماری معلومات کے مطابق یہ پاکستان میں اپنی نوعیت کی واحد ہوا سے چلنے والی چکی ہے جو زیر زمین پانی نکالنے کے لیے بنائ گئ تھی۔ صوبیدار امام علی کے پوتے محمد فاروق صاحب نے بتایا کہ یہ مقام پکھے والا (پنکھے والا) کھو کے نام سے مشہور ہے اور جنگ عظیم اول کے بعد ہمارے دادا مرحوم نے اسکو آباد کیا۔ اس وقت نہری پانی کا نظام اتنا مؤثر نہیں تھا۔ دادا مرحوم نے فرانس میں اس پون چکی والے طریقہ کو یہاں متعارف کرایا۔ کافی عرصہ تک اس چکی کی عمارت کی تعمیر جاری رہی جسکو ایک مسلم اور ایک سکھ معمار نے تعمیر کیا۔ اسکے لکڑی کے چار بڑے پر ہیں، جنہیں 180 گز کپڑا لگا تھا۔ ہوا کے رخ پروں کو موڑنے کے لیے عمارت کے ٹاپ پر ٹرین کی پٹڑی کی طرح لوہے کا گول کڑا لگا ہوا ہے۔ پانی نکالنے کے لیے چاروں جانب کنویں کھودے گۓ۔ اس وقت زیر زمین پانی 10 سے 15 فٹ کی گہرائ پر تھا۔ جب اسکی تعمیر مکمل ہوئ اور پون چکی نے کام کرنا شروع کیا تو پہلے روز 24 گھنٹوں میں اتنا پانی نکلا کہ اس سے 52 ایکڑ زمین سیراب ہوئ۔ لیکن اگلے روز اس شاندار کامیابی کی خوشی چکنا چور ہو گئ جب اس بات کا احساس ہوا کہ اس پون چکی کے پروں کو روکنے کا کوئ نظام نہیں تھا، ہوا چلتی رہتی تو پر بھی گھومتے رہتے اور پانی بھی نکلتا رہتا۔ چناچہ برسوں کی محنت سے بننے والے اس منصوبہ کو صرف ایک دن چلنے کے بعد بند کر دیا گیا۔
پکھے والے کھو میں ہی صوبیدار امام علی مرحوم کی آخری آرامگاہ ہے اور ایک پرانی مسجد بھی ہے۔ آپکا انتقال 75 برس کی عمر میں 25 مئ 1938 کو ہوا۔ فاروق صاحب نے بتایا کہ پون چکی دیکھنے دور دراز سے لوگ آتے تھے، دادا مرحوم کے زمانے میں پون چکی کی تعمیر کے دوران کسی شخص نے پوچھا کہ یہ کس سردار صاحب (سکھ سردار) کا کھو ہے جو اتنا شاندار منصوبہ تعمیر کروا رہا ہے۔ یہ سن کر امام علی صاحب جذباتی ہوگۓ اور کہا کہ کیا کوئ مسلمان ترقیاتی کام نہیں کرا سکتا۔ پون چکی کی تعمیر رکوائ اور فورا ایک مسجد کی تعمیر کا حکم دیا تاکہ آنیوالوں کو دور سے ہی معلوم ہو جاۓ کہ یہ کسی سکھ یا ہندو کا نہیں بلکہ ایک مسلمان کا علاقہ ہے۔
کچھ فاصلے پر صوبیدار امام علی کی رہائشگاہ بھی ہے، آپ نے اپنے تینوں بیٹوں کے لیے الگ الگ مکان تعمیر کراۓ۔ خود سب سے بڑے بیٹے کے ہاں رہائش رکھی۔ آج بھی اس میں انکی اولاد رہائش پذیر ہے۔ آپ نے صادق آباد ضلع رحیم یار خان میں بھی زمین خریدی جو اپنے بھائیوں میں تقسیم کر دی۔ ہم صوبیدار امام علی کی رہائشگاہ میں داخل ہوۓ تو اندر کا سادہ اور دیہاتی ماحول ہمیں سو سال پیچھے لے گیا۔ آپکے پوتوں اور پڑپوتوں نے جس طرح اعلیٰ اخلاق اور مہمان نوازی کا مظاہرہ کیا ہم صوبیدار امام علی مرحوم کی وضع داری کے قائل ہو گۓ جو آج بھی انکے خاندان میں برقرار ہے۔ وسیع کچے فرش کے صحن میں دانا چگتے کبوتر، حفاظت پر معمور کتا، گھنے درخت کے نیچے چارپائیاں، پرانے طرز کا باورچی خانہ اور اس میں لکڑی/کوئلہ کا چولہا، موٹی چنائ کی دیواریں، چھت پر لکڑی کا کام، ہمیں صوبیدار امام علی کے دور میں لے گیا۔ فاتحہ تو آپکی قبر پر پڑھ ہی چکے تھے، بیٹھک کی دیوار میں لٹکی آپکی رنگین تصویر کو دیکھ کر آپکو خراجِ تحسین کیا۔ روایتی مہمان نوازی پر آپکی اولاد کا شکریہ ادا کیا اور اجازت طلب کی۔ اللہ تعالیٰ سے دعا ہے کہ صوبیدار امام علی کے درجات بلند فرمائے اور جنت الفردوس میں اعلیٰ مقام عطا فرمائے آمین۔

تحریر و تصاویر:
وقاص الحسن چوھدری

 

[ghazi52]

Derawar and the Desert Forts of Cholistan


The Cholistan desert, or Rohi, is the western part of the Thar desert of the sub-continent which lies in modern Pakistan. There is archaeological evidence that this area was once watered by the Hakra river and was home to an Indus Valley culture based on agriculture. This river, the bed of which can be seen clearly etched into the desert landscape, supported settlements from ca. 4000 BC until around 600 B.C. when the river changed its flow and subsequently vanished underground. Since then the Cholistan area has been a stark and inhospitable desert environment at the edge of empires.

The medieval forts of the Cholistan desert landscape are a group of up to a dozen structures, some standing and some deteriorated. Derawar fort is the best surviving example of this series of historic forts, some dating from pre-Mughal times, but all restored and expanded from the 16th to 18th century by powerful local clans. Other forts include (roughly from north to south) Meergarh, Jaangarh, Marotgarh, Maujgarh, Dingarh, Khangarh, Khairgarh, Bijnotgarh and Islamgarh.These structures form a network across the desert landscape. They served to protect and enable the desert caravan routes; mercantile routes from central Asia to the heartland of the sub-continent and pilgrimage routes between Mecca and India.

Derawar fort was built in the 9th c. by Rai Jajja Bhatti. a Rajput ruler of Bhatti clan. The fort was taken over by the Nawab of Bahawalpur, Sadeq Mohammad Khan I, in 1733 They in turn lost control of the fort in 1747 but took the stronghold back in 1804 and it remained as the desert abode of the Nawabs of Bahawalpur until the 1970s. The fort survived intact due to this constant occupation where many of the others built as part of the medieval desert defence have perished.

The fort is a massive and visually stunning square structure built of clay bricks. The walls have a length of 1500 meters and stand up to thirty meters high. There are forty circular bastions, ten on each side, which stand 30 m high and are visible across the desert for many miles. Each is decorated with intricate patterns in cut brick work. There are remains of structures inside the fort, may richly decorated with tile and fresco work; the Moti or Pearl Mosque stands nearby and the cemetery of the Nawabs of Bahawalpur filled with ornate and elaborate graves.

Derawar and the other forts illustrate the variety of the forms found from square brick structures with circular corner bastions, to square walls completely faced with semi-circular towers, to rectangular and even hexagonal shaped enclosures with angle bastions and square enclosures within an outer wall with multiple bastions. All of these varied forms date from the 16th to late 18th centuries, although many are renovations of previous buildings from as early as the 9th c. Despite this variation in form, all these forts are clustered within an area of only. 250 km N-S and 100 km E-W to the east of the historic cities of Bahawalpur and Yazman.

The explanation for this group of fortifications across the flat sands of the Rohi is presumed to be access to water, protection and control of these important water resources and their relationship to the caravan routes across the desert. Derawar, for example, is located at a critical point in the desert where it is possible to access deep water deposits which are all that remains of the ancient Hakra River. As a result, for many centuries Derawar has been an essential stopping and watering point for all caravans entering the great desert on route to trading centers to the east.

 

[ghazi52]

1928: Ruins at Taxila - Rawalpindi


....Taxila is one of the splendid Buddhist establishments & the main centre of Gandhara, is over 3,000 years old. Taxila had attracted Alexander the great from Macedonia in 326 BC, with whom the influence of Greek culture came to this part of the world..

 

[ghazi52]

Gumbat Balo Kale,
(Kandak Valley, Barlkot 2nd Century CE), Swat.

About an hour drive from Mengorah.

 

[Kambojaric]

Meagre funds for archaeology dept

LAHORE: Despite its tall claims that the Archaeology Department had been set up to highlight the archaeological heritage of Pakistan, the Punjab government has allocated just Rs.300 million in the fiscal year 2020-2021’s budgetary allocations, cutting down Rs.50 million as compared to the previous year’s allocations of Rs.350 million. In the Punjab budget for the Fiscal year 2020-2021, there has been a decrease of funds by Rs50 million for the department. A sum of Rs.290 million will be spent on on-going schemes, the Local Development Programme

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/673404-meagre-funds-for-archaeology-dept

 

[Kambojaric]

Archaeological Survey and Ethnoarchaeological Studies in Sefidkuh of Makran, Iran

The archaeological survey of Makran Sefidkuh region in Iran was carried out along with the Ethnoarcheological project, with the focus on identifying and recording the continuation pattern of settlement of communities in the highland regions.

According to the Public Relations Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism, Hossein Vahedi, head of the archaeology expedition said: The project “Archaeological Identification of Settlements Sefidkuh region of Makran, Nikshahr, Sistan and Baluchestan was conducted by permission of the Research Institute and Collaboration of Shahrekord University.

He added: The Ethnoarchaeological Studies Project of the societies, which includes aspects of anthropological and Ethnoarchaeological studies, with the focus of the first season of the Archaeological Survey Program for the first time in the Sefidkuh of Makran area in central Sistan and Baluchestan province is in progress.

In this season of survey, specific archeological and anthropological evidence was obtained from lesser-known Sefidkuh communities; among the most notable of these by the discovery of circular architectural evidence with continuation, of which has been visible to this day in the Sefidkuh area, and also evidence of pottery suspected belong the Chalcolithic era, along with a special pottery known as Londo.

This archaeologist said: Some scholars based on the archaeological findings of Pakistan’s Baluchistan, believe this type of pottery belongs to the second and third centuries BC, which this date may be different in Baluchistan of Iran.

Mr Vahedi expressed hope: The results of the absolute chronology tests will soon open a new window in our field.


Head of the archaeology expedition said: Londo pottery is one of Balochistan’s index potteries and can be found in the early layers of the Tepe Yahya of Kerman, the Kaftary site in Fars, all over western Pakistan including the area (Jahawalan, Budi Buti and Las Bella, Domb Kouh site, Hezar mardi in Bampur) and the Give Castle area in South Khorasan.

Hossein Vahedi said: Londo pottery is the second-largest pottery group in the Persian Gulf, the Oman Sea and the Makran region, which testifies to the trade between the people of the region.

He added: The survey team of Makran Sefidkuh area was looking for evidence of the presence of ancient sites in this impassable area. we did an Ethnoarchaeological project which focused on identifying, surveying and recording communities residing in the Sefidkuh highlands, to the settlement continuity pattern of these people and the villages under study to identify and record.

He stated: In addition to the findings in this season’s survey, new evidence of the importance of oval, circular, and stacked camp which is very important, also emerged.

Vahedi said: Due to the discovery of glass bracelet, pottery fragments and anthropological evidence alongside the identified a circular grave specimen, which the examples of it have been found in neighboring areas such as Pakistan and Oman (areas such as Haif, Umm al-Anar and Jalan) in the prehistoric time period, it is probable that the Makran region, and especially Sefidkuh, was dominated by semi-nomadic communities and was one of the important areas of trade between the southern marginal communities of the Persian Gulf and the high-lying communities of Baluchistan and Sistan and neighboring areas.

He also said: We identify 12 places in which pre-historic (Epipaleolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic) life continues today. These 12 Current settlements are located in the mountainous area of Sefidkuh. The names of the villages: Baragdan, Kuchkodam, Koddap, Tangsam, Kopidap, Javanja, Torkeguash, Dangar, Kupchu, Sorkhkalut Patgan and Siyahdan.

In this survey evidence of historical and Islamic cemeteries was also found, which it is probable that due to the strategic importance of the region, it has long been the home of the semi-sedentary nomadic people.

We are still unable to accurately identify the ancient communities living in the Sefidkouh heights and it is necessary to conduct targeted studies in the long-term, in collaboration with the Institute of Archeology, the Institute of Anthropology and interdisciplinary experts, alongside the study of contemporary modern societies living in the region.

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2020/...cal-studies-in-sefidkuh-of-makran-iran/129091

 

[ghazi52]

Sam Dalrymple is with Khushal Karim.

June 25

Some photos from Ganish, Gilgit Baltistan, from when I was living in Altit two years ago.

One of Hunza's most ancient settlements, behind a shaded, tranquil tank are several richly carved wooden mosques, several hundred years old. This is one of the best preserved villages in Gilgit Baltistan, and despite a great flood destroying much of Ganish in 1958. While Baltit Fort shows how the cream of society lived, Ganish shows another side of traditional Hunza life.

The name Ganish means gold in local Burushaski, but I cant help help but think of some potential Hindu influence. Until Islam arrived in the 14th century, the society of the Hunza Valley was a mix of Hindu, Buddhist and Shamanic. The Haldeikish Sacred Rocks of Hunza, on the other side of the river are evidence of the trade that moved through the area, showing messages in languages such as Sogdian, Tibetan, Sanskrit and Kharoshti from the 1st c. BC to 8thc. AD. Nearby Altit Fort retains a medieval Shiv lingam.

Nonetheless, no trace of a hindu community remains, although several of the mosques contain carvings reminiscent of Buddhist Stupas.

 

[ghazi52]

Bhodesar, 4 miles from Nagar, Sindh, Pakistan features the ruins of three Jain temples. Bhodesar was the region's capital during Sodha rule. An ancient water tank, known as Bhodesar Talao also built in the nearby hills.


Credits: @shutter_rao #SindhHeritage #UNESCO

via: https://bit.ly/2ZP2vvN

 

[ghazi52]

Excavated by the Harappa Archaeological Research Project in 1993, this large corbelled drain was built in the middle of an abandoned gateway at Harappa to dispose of rainwater and sewage.

An artist's reconstruction of the gateway and drain at Harappa.

 

[Kambojaric]

The long standing mystery of Nau-Gaza graves
These graves have been subject to a variety of folklores which vary from region to region

LAHORE:

From the recognition of giant footprints in Sri Lanka to the discovery of ancient graves big enough to endorse Gulliver’s fictional tales of Brobdingnag, there has been sufficient evidence over the years to suggest the existence of astoundingly tall people in the past. However, where other evidence is few and far between, the vast, nine-yard graves locally known as Nau-Gazas, have long been a worldwide phenomenon for hundreds of years. These graves, many of which are located in parts of the sub-continent as well as South Asia, Middle East and Europe, have been subject to a variety of folklores which vary from region to region.

In Pakistan, these gigantic graves are popular in various parts of the country but the longest among them are said to be in the historic cities of Gujrat, Sialkot and Chiniot. Regarding the two nine-yard graves in Gujrat, it locally believed these were the burial places of sons of Adam--the first man and prophet of Abrahamic religions. Whereas, it is popular about the graves in Chiniot and Sialkot that they belong to Muslim warriors from 757 AH, who had journeyed to the subcontinent from Madina to rival the Hindu raja Salwan. As per local belief, these men had migrated to the subcontinent to preach Islam, where they eventually died in their service to religion; making the city on the banks of River Chenab their eternal resting place.

According to Omar Din, the caretaker of a Nau-Gaza shrine in Chenab area, the Nau-Gaza Pir who allegedly lays there, was martyred in war against the Hindu raja while his comrades were also captured and killed in different parts of the province. “Although I was sent to serve at this particular shrine by my mentor Qalandar Pak, there are many such graves in various parts of Punjab. They belong to the comrades of the Nau-Gaza Pir,” shared Din. Similar stories also follow the graves of Sialkot’s Nau-Gaza Pir, who is similarly said to have waged a war against the local Hindu reign. Known as Imam Aliul Haq or Imam Sahib, the pir had brought with him an army of some 313 men, many of whom were known to be astoundingly tall. On the other hand, another nine-yard grave in the ancient Barla Sharif village of Gujrat, is widely believed to be the resting place of Qanbeet, the son of Prophet Adam. Similarly, there is also local recognition of the existence of a few other Nau-Gaza elders in Lahore, Pakpattan and Sheikhupura, who like the rest, were also preachers of Islam and thus amass hundreds and thousands of devotees from around the country to-date.

Given the repeated mention of towering men in various Abrahamic traditions, it is not too difficult to conjecture that these gigantic graves possibly belong to the gargantuan men of the past. But since no historic records exist for these graves, there is little surety in saying who or what actually lays beneath. Interestingly, according to archaeologists who have unearthed and studied over 4000 year-old human skeletons and artifacts, there exists no known record of nine-yard men or even close. Offering a more plausible explanation, archaeology describes this phenomenon as mass graves from times of war and epidemic. “At times, especially during war, several bodies would be buried together in mass graves and often along with a flag, which also explains the length of these graves,” explained local archaeologist Afzal Khan.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 22nd, 2020.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2256059/the-long-standing-mystery-of-nau-gaza-graves

 

[ghazi52]

The who’s-who of archaeology in Pakistan

Dr. Ahmad Hasan Dani, who is often lauded as the greatest archaeologist ever produced by Pakistan
It would not be wrong to say that in the realms of global academia, some fields of study are “more equal” than others. Scientific study, both professional and theoretical, has long been deemed as superior to studies in humanities and social sciences; only studies in finance, business and commerce have recently managed to catch up with the academic giant. The result is that while many people look up to scientists and their achievements, both in history and in contemporary life, the endeavours of social scientists go unnoticed, no matter how important. Pakistan, being one of the least educated countries in the world, naturally is no different.

If you ask a random group of Pakistanis how many have heard of Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, there will be many hands be raised. Many others would know exactly what he achieved and when. He gave us the nuclear bomb, they would say. But should we ask them if they have ever heard of Dr. Ahmad Hasan Dani – the most important Pakistani archaeologist of all time – a significantly less number of hands would be raised. This is part of the reason why Pakistanis have such little respect for culture and heritage and immense respect for militancy. It’s about time we changed that.

The following short list of Pakistan’s most prominent archaeologists of all time.