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Featured Pakistan: The Archaeological Marvel

As you said, the humans coming out of Africa is after all, an assumption. This theory was floated to support the Darwin theory of evolution where the human came from Chimps. Evolution of Human civilization, which also reflect the human development as a specie, does not support the claim of humans coming from Africa, because the oldest civilization is the Indus, far away from Africa.
African origin of modern humans is more or less proven through mitochondrion DNA research. Besides, civilization is different to nomadic humans who migrated from africa.
 
Unearthing History
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Aurore Didier, head of the Indus Basin Mission. (Photo credit: Ali Bhutto)

If there is one thing that is certain in Sindh, it is that you never know what lies beneath the surface. So when French archaeologists stumbled upon a monumental mud-brick structure in the rural hinterlands of Nawabshah district last year, they recalled the comments of the man who last excavated the site – in 1936. British Archaeologist Ernest Mackay described this very edifice as a means of protection from floods. But as the French mission dug deeper, they learnt that there was more to it. By January 2017, they had unearthed a vast network of rooms of different sizes dating back to the earliest phase of the Indus Valley civilisation (2500-2300 BC). In some of the rooms, they found thousands of gemstones used for bead manufacturing. These stones, composed of minerals such as steatite and chalcedony, were not indigenous to the region. “The layout is unusual in comparison to Moenjo Daro,” explains Aurore Didier, head of the Indus Basin Mission, referring to the mysterious structure. Didier is encamped in Karachi after having completed field operations for the year. “We have not come across such architecture before,” she continues. “We think we may have found a large factory here, in Chahun jo Daro.”

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Above: Artefacts dating to the First Period of the Indus civilisation (2500-2300 BC), found at Chahun jo Daro. (Photo credit: MAFBI©Didier).

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The French Archaeological Mission in Pakistan is the only archaeological team that has done continuous work in the country for over 60 years. As such, its roots in Pakistan run deeper than those of local provincial bodies for antiquities, which were established in 2011 and are, therefore, infantile in comparison. The French mission was founded at a time when Pakistan had a French Director of Archaeology and Museums – Raoul Curiel. And so it was that in 1958, French Archaeologist Jean-Marie Casal founded the ‘Indus Archaeological Mission,’ with the objective of gaining a better understanding of the origins of the Indus Valley civilisation. The mission shifted to Balochistan in 1962, and in 1987 Roland Besenval founded the ‘French Archaeological Mission in Makran.’ In 2013, the two branches merged, forming the Indus Basin Mission, with Didier as its head.

Didier belongs to a second generation of French archaeologists conducting excavations in Sindh and Balochistan. Her predecessors, Casal and Jean Francois Jarrige discovered a cluster of Neolithic sites in Balochistan between 1968 and 1974. Pirak, Mehrgarh and Nausharo provided a complete sequence of occupation from the 8th millennium BC till the middle of the first millennium BC – i.e. 8000 BC to 1000 BC. “Mehrgarh provided the earliest evidence of dentistry in the entire world,” says Didier. At an international seminar in Lucknow in 2006, titled ‘First Farmers in Global Perspective,’ Jarrige presented a paper in which he mentioned having found “eleven drilled molar crowns from nine individuals,” in the graveyards of Mehrgarh. “The Indus Valley civilisation was a continuation of Mehrgarh,” explains Didier. This is why the Indus Basin Mission is focused on highlighting the connection between pre-Indus and Indus period sites in Sindh and Balochistan.

“For the last 20 to 30 years, researchers have focused on how the Indus civilisation met its demise,” says Didier, which she believes occurred due to changing climatic and socio-economic conditions. “But little is known of the civilisation’s origins. In archaeological literature, the Indus civilisation is referred to as a single period – ‘the mature Indus period’ – without any change in architectural or material culture in over 700 years,” she continues. “But,” she asks, “how is it possible that there was no change in architecture, crafts and pottery over such a long period?” Her team has demonstrated that there are different pottery designs associated with each of the three Indus periods, from 2500 BC till 1900 BC. “The first period is the least documented one, not only in Sindh, but in all of Pakistan.” The reason for this, she explains, is because it lies buried below metres and metres of architectural deposits dating from later periods of the Indus civilisation.

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The high water table in most parts of the province hinders access to these hidden layers. This is why the mission wants to focus its field operations in an area that does not have a high water table, such as Karchat, in the Kirthar foothills of Jamshoro district. “At the moment, we are conducting explorations in Karchat to identify sites dating to pre-Indus and Indus periods that could potentially be excavated by our team next year,” says Didier.

A high water table around the site of Moenjo Daro prevents deep excavation of the site. If water surfaces during excavations, it could damage the mud-brick architecture of the lowest layers. This, Didier explains is partly the reason why most of Moenjo Daro remains unexcavated. “Nobody has the budget
anymore to excavate the site in its entirety and besides, there is really no need to do so,” she says. “This is because after excavations, there is the problem of conservation. Even if there are funds from Unesco and other departments, it is impossible to do a complete restoration of all the remains at Moenjo Daro, because it would take a lot of time and money.” She further adds, “Accessing the remains of the first Indus period literally means that you will have to remove all the layers on top and you cannot do this on a Unesco site.” Didier points out that whereas Moenjo Daro undergoes restoration every year, there have been no conservation or restoration programmes in sites such as Chahun jo Daro.

In the case of Chahun jo Daro, there has been no restoration for 80 years and the excavation done by Mackay has vanished. This, according to Didier, is partly due to erosion and partly due to the dismantling of bricks by locals who were not aware of the historical site. “Some layers in sites that were excavated 80 years ago, were destroyed 30 to 40 years ago. So the authorities today are not responsible for the damage done to these sites,” she clarifies. “However, they can do something to better preserve what is remaining of them.” Although the previously excavated area of Chahun jo Daro is a mere 300 metres by 200 metres, Didier confirms that the real size of the site is in fact much larger and lies beneath the surrounding agricultural land. “Our excavations – conducted in six weeks, with the help of 30 workers from surrounding villages – covered an area of over a thousand square metres,” says Didier. “Our objective is to uncover the entire factory, but to do this we need to find a larger budget.”

The Indus Basin Mission’s programme is carried out in cooperation with the Exploration and Excavation Branch of the Culture, Tourism and Antiquities Department of the Government of Sindh. But the excavations carried out by the French mission are financed solely by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as are its training programmes of local students. The Culture Department only provides logistical help – security, vehicles, tents and tables. When I ask Didier why the local department has not contributed a single rupee for excavations or training, she chooses not to comment. Instead, she maintains that she is grateful for whatever help the department has provided. “We are working hard to achieve true Pakistani-French cooperation,” she emphasises. Last year, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs provided three scholarships for local students who also received training in Didier’s lab for three months.

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Thirty local labourers from surrounding villages helped excavate the site at Chahun jo Daro in Nawabshah district. (Photo credit: MAFBI©Didier).

The French mission makes up for the consistency and expertise lacking in Sindh’s Ministry for Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, which is constantly in sway to winds of change. Even though Didier has met as many as seven or eight secretaries of culture since she started working in Sindh, she does not ask why. “We do not get involved in politics,” she maintains, speaking on behalf of the French mission. And it is the mission’s ability to surf above political undercurrents that has given it its longevity. Nor is she critical of the Conference on Moenjo Daro, held from February 9-11. What she cannot fathom, however, is the fact that local archaeologists, from the University of Sindh, Jamshoro, and Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur, who have done considerable work, were not invited to speak at the conference. Instead, only foreigners were highlighted.

Various local heritage enthusiasts who attended the conference and requested not to be named, pointed out that the individuals designated by the Culture Department to oversee the project, belonged to various independent organisations and were not archaeologists or specialists on the Indus civilisation. How then, could they define strategic plans for the future? According to these attendees, the souvenirs alone are estimated to have cost Rs. 800,000. They alleged that the conference benefited those who were not involved in field research in Pakistan, while some of the foreigners that were invited have never carried out excavations in Pakistan. Some well-funded independent institutions and foundations allegedly organised events such as the Conference on Moenjo Daro to promote themselves and collect more funds.

Government institutions such as the Exploration and Excavation Branch, on the other hand, desperately need funding, according to Didier. “The culture department has funds, but these are not effectively allocated due to a lack of awareness,” she says. It may not help that the Secretary of Culture changes every five or six months, which makes it impossible for this department to effectively follow up on work, year after year. Didier highlights that the archaeology departments of Sindh University, Jamshoro, and Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur, “consist of good archaeologists and professionals. The Culture Department could invest in training programmes for these students, who are the new generation of archaeology in Pakistan.”

Yet sadly, archaeology and heritage continue to be the exclusive realm of a select few, based on their ‘name,’ including NGOs that lack the expertise.

Didier commended the restoration efforts of the Endowment Fund Trust (EFT) and said that the EFT had “specifically helped us with training, as well as provided financial help for the training of students.” She expressed the hope that they could “work together and have a common strategy to train young people in archaeological methods.”

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According to Didier, the artefacts unearthed in Chahun jo Daro are currently in the Exploration and Excavation Branch in Karachi. “Most of the collections coming from our previous programme in Balochistan were first taken to this department and then shifted to the National Museum in Karachi. Syed Shakir Ali Shah, Director of the Exploration and Excavation Branch and whom Didier describes as the most important part of her team, explains, “The artefacts excavated in 2015, 2016 and 2017 are currently stored with us. Each item has been properly documented and recorded. If and when the various museums in Pakistan express an interest in displaying these artefacts, we will first obtain permission from the Secretary of Culture and then proceed accordingly.” Abdul Sattar Keerio, the local landlord whose plantation surrounds Chahun jo Daro, proposed that a small museum be built on site, displaying some of the artefacts to the public. Didier had requested the Culture Department to help install a fence around the site and declare it a protected area.

“My topmost priority, is to make a report on our results accessible to the local public,” explains Didier. “For this, we are already in talks with various publications and are looking into the creation of a website, as well as the publication of reports that can be translated into local languages.” However, she says, before any of this can happen, “we first have to send the report to the Department of Antiquities in Sindh, as well as the federal Department of Archaeology and Museums.”

http://newslinemagazine.com/magazine/unearthing-history/
 
As you said, the humans coming out of Africa is after all, an assumption. This theory was floated to support the Darwin theory of evolution where the human came from Chimps. Evolution of Human civilization, which also reflect the human development as a specie, does not support the claim of humans coming from Africa, because the oldest civilization is the Indus, far away from Africa.
That is a separate topic (but your inference doesn't make sense here).
The paper that you quoted also said that the majority of European's ancestry came from Neolithic Anatolian Farmers, now does this mean they owe their civilisations to modern Anatolians/Turks? Of course not. Same is the case here. This movement is during the Neolithic, before the formation of IVC anyway.
 
That is a separate topic (but your inference doesn't make sense here).
The paper that you quoted also said that the majority of European's ancestry came from Neolithic Anatolian Farmers, now does this mean they owe their civilisations to modern Anatolians/Turks? Of course not. Same is the case here. This movement is during the Neolithic, before the formation of IVC anyway.

The problem is when people start to talk about nomenclatures like Neolithic or what not, they lose focus as to what Islam has told us about Humanity and its beginning. If you are focused on scientific terminologies and building your understanding about ancient past through those, then you will come to different conclusions. I am looking from Islamic point of view and majority of scholars agree that Humanity , at max is not more then 10k years old. And when you have IVC being the oldest of other two, namely Babylon and Egypt, while keeping in mind the 10k figure, it all start to make sense as to where it all started.

Let me remind you, when talking about Europeans, the Nazi German, were of the view that their origins were also in IVC. Ancient Hebrews were also a tribe of Indus.

African origin of modern humans is more or less proven through mitochondrion DNA research. Besides, civilization is different to nomadic humans who migrated from africa.

Eypgt is in Africa, though Egyptians dont consider themselves as Africans. how come Egypt is not the most ancient civilization if African continent was the origin of Humanity. Why Indus is the oldest which is far away from Africa? You have to refer to religion which tell us that Adam, the first human, when he was ejected from Heaven was brought down to earth in the area which is now refer to as sub-continent. And within sub-continent, Indus is THE civilization.
 
Let me remind you, when talking about Europeans, the Nazi German, were of the view that their origins were also in IVC. Ancient Hebrews were also a tribe of Indus.
This is interesting. Do you have a source for this?
 
This is interesting. Do you have a source for this?

I did a research on this donkey years ago, have to dig down my notes. If my memory serve, the German connection was with the swastika
http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/...ce_500back/indusvalley/swastika/swastika.html

And as for the Hebrews, it was Aristotle who researched on this subject and found them to be a tribe of Indus, which got dislodged after the great deluge. Quran also mention that forefathers of Bani Isreal were with the Noah in his arc. Connect the dots and true picture and significance of Indus emerges.
 
The problem is when people start to talk about nomenclatures like Neolithic or what not, they lose focus as to what Islam has told us about Humanity and its beginning. If you are focused on scientific terminologies and building your understanding about ancient past through those, then you will come to different conclusions. I am looking from Islamic point of view and majority of scholars agree that Humanity , at max is not more then 10k years old. And when you have IVC being the oldest of other two, namely Babylon and Egypt, while keeping in mind the 10k figure, it all start to make sense as to where it all started.

Let me remind you, when talking about Europeans, the Nazi German, were of the view that their origins were also in IVC. Ancient Hebrews were also a tribe of Indus.



Eypgt is in Africa, though Egyptians dont consider themselves as Africans. how come Egypt is not the most ancient civilization if African continent was the origin of Humanity. Why Indus is the oldest which is far away from Africa? You have to refer to religion which tell us that Adam, the first human, when he was ejected from Heaven was brought down to earth in the area which is now refer to as sub-continent. And within sub-continent, Indus is THE civilization.
Hell with religion, each teaches its own version of hokey-pokey. Believe in this adam - madam crap if you want, but don't try to hard sell it to scientific fact finders. And civilization is different. Modern humans (the Homo sapiens) "originated" in Africa, they were not "civilized" though. Civilizations originated much further in the human development history, perhaps with the discovery of Agriculture.
 
Hell with religion, each teaches its own version of hokey-pokey. Believe in this adam - madam crap if you want, but don't try to hard sell it to scientific fact finders. And civilization is different. Modern humans (the Homo sapiens) "originated" in Africa, they were not "civilized" though. Civilizations originated much further in the human development history, perhaps with the discovery of Agriculture.

You know sunshine, today, the science itself is not sure about the human origins from Chimps. There is Darwin theory, the chemical theory and the creator theory. Darwin theory, has always been, a theory. Idiots have taken it as some sort of biblical fact.
 
Saving the lost city of Mohenjo Daro

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The centre of a powerful ancient civilisation, Mohenjo Daro was one of the world's earliest cities — a Bronze Age metropolis boasting flush toilets and a water and waste system to rival many in modern Pakistan.

Some 5,000 years on archaeologists believe the ruins could unlock the secrets of the Indus Valley people, who flourished around 3,000 BC in what is now India and Pakistan before mysteriously disappearing.

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A view of the ruins of Mohenjo Daro — AFP

But they warn, if nothing is done to protect the ruins — already neglected and worn by time — they will fade to dust and obscurity, never taking their rightful place in history.

“Everybody knows Egypt, nobody knows Mohenjo Daro, this has to be changed,” says Dr Michael Jansen, a German researcher working at the sun-baked site on the banks of the Indus river in Pakistan's southern Sindh province.

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People walk through the streets of Mohenjo Daro. — AFP

Jansen is at the forefront of a new effort to promote the site internationally while finding ways to protect what is left.

In summer temperatures can soar above 46°C.

“There is enormous thermo-stress,” says Jansen, adding that salt from the underground water table is also damaging the ruins.

But it's more than just the weather and time. Pakistan's bloody fight against militancy has also raised the spectre of destruction by an Islamist group, much like Islamic State destroyed the ruins in Syria's Palmyra.

Most horrifying, however, is the wanton disregard for Mohenjo Daro -- or “mound of the dead” -- by ordinary citizens.

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Ismail Mugheri, points out a two-story well at the site — AFP

In 2014 police stood atop the main stupa as hundreds of people swarmed the site to, ironically, commemorate Pakistan's cultural heritage — complete with scaffolding, dancing, fireworks, heavy spotlights and lasers.

Sardar Ali Shah, cultural minister in Sindh province, vowed never to let such a thing happen again. “It's like you are jumping on the bed bed of a 5,000-year-old ailing patient,” he tells AFP.

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Yet today curious visitors still roam the remains with impunity, many leaving rubbish in the once pristine-streets and wells.

'Foreigners are afraid'
Jansen and his Friends of Mohenjo Daro society aim to promote the site internationally, with plans to recruit Pakistanis around the world for conferences, seminars and debates.

Dr Kaleem Lashari, chief consultant to the Pakistani government over Mohenjo Daro, said they will also digitally archive the Indus script -- which has never been deciphered -- in hopes that making it accessible will increase the site's profile.

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At the site itself, he said, technical reviews are being held to examine the water logging issue and other ways to shore up the ruins, while exploring new, modern technology that allows researchers to ascertain what lies beneath the surface in the portions of the city not yet excavated.

But, Lashari says, perhaps the biggest challenge remains Pakistan's international image, tarnished by extremism, corruption, poverty, and insecurity.

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Visitors carelessly tread on the ancient ruins. — AFP

“Foreigners are afraid to visit Pakistan and the site because of the chronic issue of law and order,” he warns.

All roads lead to equality?
The issues he cites underscore unsettling differences between modern day Pakistan and the civilisation found among the ruins.

At their peak during the Bronze Age, the Indus Valley people are believed to have numbered up to five million, with Mohenjo Daro their largest and most advanced settlement.

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Jewellery from the era displayed at the museum. — AFP

Clay and metallic seals, coins, standardised weighing stones, gold and bronze ornaments, toys and whistles — the bric-a-brac of ancient lives have revealed volumes about thriving Indus trade and commerce.

The layout of the city itself suggests an egalitarian people more concerned with cleanliness than hierarchy, says Dr Jonathan Mark Kenoyer of the University of Wisconsin.

“In Mesopotamia, the streets went from the city to the palace ... whereas in (Indus) cities all the streets were organised to allow access to the whole city,” he says.

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Caretaker at the UNESCO World Heritage archaeological site of Mohenjo Daro, Ismail Mugheri, points out a well at the site some 425km north of Karachi. — AFP

Mohenjo Daro had a complex water and waste management system which observers have wryly noted was better than in many parts of Pakistan today.

Only a small portion of the site has been excavated properly, but the most important building appears not to have been a palace or a place of worship, but a massive public bath.

Houses had tiled bathrooms and their own cylindrical brick wells, sometimes raised to the second floor to allow for a flush system.

None of this, however,has yet explained why such a powerful, advanced and flourishing civilisation disappeared so abruptly around 1900 BC.

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The bath of Mohenjo Daro — AFP

Currently, there is no bid to excavate further among the plans being laid by Lashari and Jansen. “It is actually preserved when it is buried,” explains Harvard University's Dr Richard Meadow.

Despite their access to new technologies, that puts researchers in a quandary, especially as they try to understand what happened to the Indus people. As Jansen says, the “best way to learn information is to excavate.”

But mysteries take time to solve: for now, the researchers say, they will settle for ensuring that Mohenjo Daro endures for a few centuries more.

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A city full of lost glory. — AFP

https://www.dawn.com/news/1333493
 
Trade links between Abu Dhabi and Pakistan go some way back.

Bronze Age Trading Post found on Sir Bani Yas Island

ABU DHABI: Excavations by Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) archaeologists have revealed stunning evidence of a 4,000-year-old trading post on Sir Bani Yas island off Abu Dhabi’s coast. The excavations focused on a stone-constructed building at a site on the island’s south-west coast.

Inside the building a number of fragmentary large jars were found, which were made in Bahrain around 4,000 years ago and belong to a time when the UAE, Bahrain, Iraq, and South Asia were engaged in intensive maritime trade with the jars transported through the Arabian Gulf by ship.

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Although fragments of pottery like these have been found before in the UAE, this is the first time that several complete examples have been discovered. Analysis of the artefacts is just beginning, but preliminary results indicate that pottery from Pakistan was also found. Bronze tools are also present, attesting to the important role that the UAE played in the export of copper to its Bronze Age neighbours. Along with the bronze tools is a well-preserved fish hook.

One of the most remarkable finds was a stamp seal, probably made from steatite. This is an example of a famous ‘Dilmun Stamp Seal’. Dilmun was the ancient name for Bahrain and adjoining regions, and merchants used these stamps to authorise shipments of goods around the Arabian Gulf. A few examples have been found before in the UAE, but this is the first Dilmun Stamp Seal to be discovered from the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi.

TCA Abu Dhabi archaeologist Abdulla Khalfan Al Kaabi said, "The moment when we discovered the Dilmun Stamp Seal was very special. We immediately realised the important implications of this find. Holding this in our hands for the first time since a Bronze Age merchant had used it almost 4,000 years ago was a magical moment."

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The seal appears to show an animal and a human figure under the moon. The meaning of the seal is still a mystery but Al Kaabi and TCA Abu Dhabi colleague Ali Abdul Rahman Al Meqbali are researching it and comparing it to the other seals that have been found in the Arabian Gulf.

Together, the artefacts and the building indicate that Sir Bani Yas held an important position in Bronze Age maritime trade. This trade is well-documented from both ancient texts and archaeology and involved the exchange of copper from the Al Hajar mountains of the UAE and Oman, semi-precious materials from South Asia, and goods from Bahrain and Iraq. The trade relied upon ports and staging posts in which boats could stop, exchange goods, and replenish supplies. In many ways, these ports represent a pre-cursor to the Free Zones that are an important part of the UAE economy today.

Why Sir Bani Yas was particularly important in this trade is still being investigated, but there is a long history of occupation on the island, made possible, in part, by the presence of fresh water. Even in the comparatively recent past, the village of Zahir had palm gardens irrigated with well water. The island is also close to the mainland, so goods could be easily exchanged.

The finds from the excavation came from just one building and surface remains indicate that several other buildings may be located at the same site. TCA Abu Dhabi archaeologists are just beginning the analysis of material from this year, and they will present their results at an international conference at the British Museum this July. Other sites on the island, such as the early Christian monastery, are well-known. The Bronze Age site will now also feature as an important part of a heritage tourism trail planned for the island.

The results achieved thus far add another level to the remarkable history of Abu Dhabi, a history being revealed by on-going TCA Abu Dhabi excavations on the islands, the coast, and in the Al Ain region.

TCA Abu Dhabi archaeologist Ali Abdul Rahman Al Meqbali said, "I am proud to be involved in researching the prehistory of Abu Dhabi Emirate. Our recent excavation on Sir Bani Yas island has rewritten our knowledge of contacts with the Bronze Age civilisations of the Arabian Gulf and beyond."

http://gulftoday.ae/portal/c10287d0-63c6-4b63-a489-40e3e708fcee.aspx
 
Neglected Sialkot Fort besieged by encroachers

SIALKOT - Historical Sialkot Fort remains the victim of un-ending negligence of the Municipal Corporation and the Punjab Archaeology Department as it is surrounded by the encroachments which have damaged its beauty.

The politically influential encroachers have set up their encroachments around this Fort due to negligence of Sialkot Municipal Corporation and several dilapidated parts of this fort have become safer places for the addicts.

Likewise, the remains of the historical Sialkot Fort speak volumes about the negligence as no government department ever took steps to preserve it.

No funds have ever been allocated for its repairing. The fort remains the victim of un-ending negligence of Sialkot Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) and the Archaeology Department as it has been surrounded by the encroachers who are badly damaging its beauty.

Although the offices of Sialkot district government and TMA are located in the Fort, they never bothered to maintain it. The encroachers have set up their encroachments around it due to TMA’s negligence and its several dilapidated parts have become safe havens for addicts.

According to Mr Diayas Jee, historian and author of Hinduism’s international famed history book ‘Maha Bhaarat’, Hindu Raja Sull had established the Sialkot city about 5,000 years ago. Raja Sull had built Sialkot Fort for the Defence of Sialkot city and Sialkot Fort. Sialkot is one of the most ancient cities of Pakistan, enriched with grand historical assets and a custodian of golden traditions, culture art and craftsmanship. It has witnessed many bright and dark aspects. Some history books reveal that then Raja Sallbahan’s Sialkot State had been very strong and invincible. It is a city situated in the north-east of the Punjab province in Pakistan at the feet of snow-covered peaks of Kashmir near the Chenab river. Formerly, Sialkot has been the winter-capital of the State of Kashmir. The city is about 125 km north-west of Lahore and only a few kilometres from Jammu in India.

The recorded history of Sialkot, a district of modern-day Pakistan, covers thousands of years. It has since its creation changed hands from Aryan, Persian, Greek, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Sikh and British rule to the present-day federation of Pakistan.

Historian Rashid Niaz revealed in his book Tareekh-e-Sialkot that the second Faseel of the ancient fort was discovered in 1923 during the digging of Sialkot city’s various part for the installations of various installations. The archaeology experts from Taxila and Delhi (India) visited Sialkot and confirmed that it was 5,000 years old. Raja Sull had deputed more than 10,000 labourers and masons for the repairing and widening of the fort with huge-sized stone slabs and rocks brought here from then Pathaan Kot. This work completed in a stipulated period of two years, having two huge Faseels and 12 Burj in this ancient Sialkot fort.

http://nation.com.pk/national/01-Jun-2017/neglected-sialkot-fort-besieged-by-encroachers

Depressing to look at

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Rs450m for archaeology

With a view to protecting heritage of Punjab through archaeological explorations, conservation and preservation, the Punjab government has allocated Rs450 million for the fiscal year 2017-18 for archaeology.

The fiscal year 2017-18's budgetary allocations are slightly increased as compared to the last fiscal year’s allocation of Rs400 million.

The objectives of the Punjab government behind this allocation remain the retention and conservation of cultural values of the built heritage as per international standards.

The Punjab government will spend Rs209.315 on its on-going schemes which include development and restoration of archaeological sites from Taxila to Swat, master plan for preservation and restoration of Rohtas Fort, Jhelum, conservation of historical monuments near the Orange Line Metro Track, Lahore. The on-going schemes also include conservation & development of Noor Jahan’s tomb in Shahdara and also preservation and restoration of Jahangir’s tomb, Shahdara Complex, Lahore.

The new schemes in archaeology include development of Rohtas Fort, District Jhelum, conservation of Bahadur Khan’s tomb*, Lahore, conservation of Asif Jah's tomb in Shahdara, development of website of directorate general of archaeology and important monuments /sites of Punjab.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/208281-Rs450m-for-archaeology

*Bahadur Zafar Jung Kokaltash was the governor of Lahore during Aurengzebs rule. He is buried in the city, but his tomb was badly damaged during the Sikh and British periods. Glad to see it finally getting some attention. The below vid shows its current state.

 
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