Ruins of Mehr Garh (Balochistan)
By Professor Mansoor Akbar Kundi, University of Balochistan, Quetta
The ruins of Mehr Garh are one of the important archeological sites discovered in (Balochistan) Pakistan, which in archeologists' analysis belong to one of the oldest civilizations dug so far. The excavation of the site began in the beginning of 1991 by a group of French archeologists under the special permission by the government of Pakistan in collaboration with the Ministry of Archeology and Cultural affairs to discover the ruins. The site is situated in the interior of Balochistan, eighty miles in the south-west of Quetta. While travelling on the highway from Quetta to Sibi, a dirt road to the right near Dhadar, the headquarters of Bolan district, leads to the Mehr Harh village.
The ruins of Mehr Garh are one of the important archeological sites discovered in (Balochistan) Pakistan, which in archeologists' analysis belong to one of the oldest civilizations dug so far. The excavation of the site began in the beginning of 1991 by a group of French archeologists under the special permission by the government of Pakistan in collaboration with the Ministry of Archeology and Cultural affairs to discover the ruins. The site is situated in the interior of Balochistan, eighty miles in the south-west of Quetta. While travelling on the highway from Quetta to Sibi, a dirt road to the right near Dhadar, the headquarters of Bolan district, leads to the Mehr Harh village.
Ruins of Mehr Garh, Balochistan
The ruins are hardly at a mile distance from the village. As the native villagers claim the ruins had existed long ago, nevertheless, no effort was made, either by the government or a NGO, to explore them. "We started knowing about the ruins when I was a child," said a seventy year old villager from Mehr Garh, "people would avoid to go there as it was believed to have inhabited by ghosts". He, however, accompanied many a times with other boys to look for coins around the ruins. Many people, he believed to have found silver and gold coins from the area, including himself, "I, one day, playing around the ruins found a silver coin of the size of Pakistani rupee. The coin had an imprint of a small animal which he believed resembles a male goat. Besides coins, people found pieces of earthenware pots and small statues made of clay.
The excavation is carried under the supervision of a team of French archeologists, who showed keen interests in discovering the ruins of Mehr Garh in 1988. How they learned about the site is still unknown, nonetheless, according to the in charge of Victoria Memorial Hall at Sibi (now converted into a museum of Balochistan history), one of their colleagues during his research in the lower terrain Balochistan visited the site. Next year, he visited along with tow other colleagues. To a local levy Risalder, their visit was facilitated by then Commissioner Sibi division, who was an anthropologist ad showed keen interest in exploring the site.
The team of French explorers visit every year the site from France for two months to three months, and excavate the site. They belonging to the royal society of Archeology in France are permitted by the government in Islamabad to excavate the site without knowing for what period contract they signed with. According to the District Magistrate office at Dhadhar, they get special permission by the Home Department too as no foreign is allowed to travel inside Balochistan without their approval. The team is camped inside the Mehr Garh village, being informally the guests of Nawab Raisani, the chief of area, for whose cooperation the team members are indebted for. According to the one, without government and local support, the excavation would not have possible, as the area is not only far-flung from major cities, but lies in "b" area where no police rule applies. Besides the remoteness of area, the major problem the archeologists are faced with is hot weather which enables them to work in the field except two and half months of winter only. Their arrival is heralded by local people as they hire all labour to dig the ruins the village at handsome costs
The ruins are approximately spread over an area of eight hundred square miles. From the distance it appears a hillock of mud, but as one approaches near the site, one can see a number of paths, trellis and drains of lost buildings recently excavated by archeologists. The ruins of Mehr Garh, which are believed to be more than 7,000 B.C old, are not fully excavated. According to an archaeologist, "It probably belongs to an era before Alexander the Great, nonetheless, not exact is known so far about the civilization "to him, the excavation which is in progress for the last few years, will explore more to archeologists and archives about its origins.
To an anthropologist who accompanied the site, the ruins of Mehr Garh indicate a city had existed here before it perished in earthquake. Many civilizations in the area are believed to have left in ruins by earthquakes. The speculation of a earthquake jolting it is wider as excavation goes deeper in the ground, more shows up. "The city had existed on the top of hillock as we common during those days to build castle/city on heights to avoid a flood of incoming invaders," said he. "The hillock was much higher then than it appears now," agreed he. During excavation, besides other items, a number of parts of human skeletons such as a collar bones, femur, tibia, pieces of skulls, and humorous have been discovered.
The other items discovered from the ruins so far include potter, stone-made statues of men and wild creatures, a gold ball size shooting stones which were probably used in catapults against enemies, and coins. A number of stuff discovered from ruins is stored in the National Museum of Pakistan at Karachi. They include bull figurines with short curved horns, terra- coota Ram figurines with horns which people worshipped as gods of wisdom, humped bulls treated with buff slip, figures of wild boar commonly killed in the areas for hunting and meat purposes, and small goblets painted in light colors'. To an archaeologist, they belonged to an advanced civilizations inhabited around the Indus basin. Some of the items from the ruins are exhibited in the Sibi museum; raise the uniqueness of arts and crafts they enjoyed in those early days. They designed them beautifully with brighter colors' and graphic arts, the signs of which can still be seen even after passing of thousands of years.
Many of the stone-made figures excavated from the ruins resemble large four-legged animals. According to the in charge of Sibi Museum, "the excavation resulted a huge number of items beneath, never the less, a small quantity of them is produced in the museum". To him, a number of items such as daggers and dishes discovered are missing one way or another. However, to French, not enough is discovered from ruins, and in future excavation many important items will be discovered.
The excavation is not over, however, all that is come up shows interesting discoveries about the architecture and life-style of the lost town. It was small town inhabited by smaller section of population, common in ancient days where people lived not in bigger groups under a principality/city state. "The buildings were built of grey-clay bricks," said the archaeologist, "the people lived in spacious rooms with open-front terraces around." The bricks used show that in era the town was raised, the inhabitants erected mud brick houses.
They speculate that the town comprised many houses at smaller distances with a boundary wall around which though crumbled into ruins, can be traced at the left side of the excavation. It is also speculated that people constructed underground living because the weather becomes extreme hot in summer. The archeologist traces stairs running many feet down to rather spacious rooms, which they believe were designed to contain more people. "The stair steps, made of hard mud, were traced after careful excavation, and they special care", said the French archeologist.
According to an archaeologist, people lived under group homogeneity harvested barley and hunted animals. The ruins of Mehr Garh stand enormous archeological importance; therefore, government needs to support the excavation process. According to then District Magistrate, Dhadar, Mr. Iqbal Kidvai, who planned to initiate a NGO to upgrade the socio-economic status in the area, showed its concern over the ruins.
To him, "So far there is one watchman from the village to look after the area. He said paid by the French." The watchmen, a young man, are to stop people from disturbing the excavation. "I am paid not enough. I, however, try to stop villagers to graze their cattle around and those dig holes for coins,' said the watchman. However, Mr. Iqbal acquired land near the highway to construct a motel and museum hall, where the remains of Mehr Garh will be stored for public to visit.
From Professor Mansoor Akbar Kundi's book Balochistan: A Socio-Cultural and Political Analysis
The author published many research articles for foreign journals of international repute.
The excavation is carried under the supervision of a team of French archeologists, who showed keen interests in discovering the ruins of Mehr Garh in 1988. How they learned about the site is still unknown, nonetheless, according to the in charge of Victoria Memorial Hall at Sibi (now converted into a museum of Balochistan history), one of their colleagues during his research in the lower terrain Balochistan visited the site. Next year, he visited along with tow other colleagues. To a local levy Risalder, their visit was facilitated by then Commissioner Sibi division, who was an anthropologist ad showed keen interest in exploring the site.
The team of French explorers visit every year the site from France for two months to three months, and excavate the site. They belonging to the royal society of Archeology in France are permitted by the government in Islamabad to excavate the site without knowing for what period contract they signed with. According to the District Magistrate office at Dhadhar, they get special permission by the Home Department too as no foreign is allowed to travel inside Balochistan without their approval. The team is camped inside the Mehr Garh village, being informally the guests of Nawab Raisani, the chief of area, for whose cooperation the team members are indebted for. According to the one, without government and local support, the excavation would not have possible, as the area is not only far-flung from major cities, but lies in "b" area where no police rule applies. Besides the remoteness of area, the major problem the archeologists are faced with is hot weather which enables them to work in the field except two and half months of winter only. Their arrival is heralded by local people as they hire all labour to dig the ruins the village at handsome costs
The ruins are approximately spread over an area of eight hundred square miles. From the distance it appears a hillock of mud, but as one approaches near the site, one can see a number of paths, trellis and drains of lost buildings recently excavated by archeologists. The ruins of Mehr Garh, which are believed to be more than 7,000 B.C old, are not fully excavated. According to an archaeologist, "It probably belongs to an era before Alexander the Great, nonetheless, not exact is known so far about the civilization "to him, the excavation which is in progress for the last few years, will explore more to archeologists and archives about its origins.
To an anthropologist who accompanied the site, the ruins of Mehr Garh indicate a city had existed here before it perished in earthquake. Many civilizations in the area are believed to have left in ruins by earthquakes. The speculation of a earthquake jolting it is wider as excavation goes deeper in the ground, more shows up. "The city had existed on the top of hillock as we common during those days to build castle/city on heights to avoid a flood of incoming invaders," said he. "The hillock was much higher then than it appears now," agreed he. During excavation, besides other items, a number of parts of human skeletons such as a collar bones, femur, tibia, pieces of skulls, and humorous have been discovered.
The other items discovered from the ruins so far include potter, stone-made statues of men and wild creatures, a gold ball size shooting stones which were probably used in catapults against enemies, and coins. A number of stuff discovered from ruins is stored in the National Museum of Pakistan at Karachi. They include bull figurines with short curved horns, terra- coota Ram figurines with horns which people worshipped as gods of wisdom, humped bulls treated with buff slip, figures of wild boar commonly killed in the areas for hunting and meat purposes, and small goblets painted in light colors'. To an archaeologist, they belonged to an advanced civilizations inhabited around the Indus basin. Some of the items from the ruins are exhibited in the Sibi museum; raise the uniqueness of arts and crafts they enjoyed in those early days. They designed them beautifully with brighter colors' and graphic arts, the signs of which can still be seen even after passing of thousands of years.
Many of the stone-made figures excavated from the ruins resemble large four-legged animals. According to the in charge of Sibi Museum, "the excavation resulted a huge number of items beneath, never the less, a small quantity of them is produced in the museum". To him, a number of items such as daggers and dishes discovered are missing one way or another. However, to French, not enough is discovered from ruins, and in future excavation many important items will be discovered.
The excavation is not over, however, all that is come up shows interesting discoveries about the architecture and life-style of the lost town. It was small town inhabited by smaller section of population, common in ancient days where people lived not in bigger groups under a principality/city state. "The buildings were built of grey-clay bricks," said the archaeologist, "the people lived in spacious rooms with open-front terraces around." The bricks used show that in era the town was raised, the inhabitants erected mud brick houses.
They speculate that the town comprised many houses at smaller distances with a boundary wall around which though crumbled into ruins, can be traced at the left side of the excavation. It is also speculated that people constructed underground living because the weather becomes extreme hot in summer. The archeologist traces stairs running many feet down to rather spacious rooms, which they believe were designed to contain more people. "The stair steps, made of hard mud, were traced after careful excavation, and they special care", said the French archeologist.
According to an archaeologist, people lived under group homogeneity harvested barley and hunted animals. The ruins of Mehr Garh stand enormous archeological importance; therefore, government needs to support the excavation process. According to then District Magistrate, Dhadar, Mr. Iqbal Kidvai, who planned to initiate a NGO to upgrade the socio-economic status in the area, showed its concern over the ruins.
To him, "So far there is one watchman from the village to look after the area. He said paid by the French." The watchmen, a young man, are to stop people from disturbing the excavation. "I am paid not enough. I, however, try to stop villagers to graze their cattle around and those dig holes for coins,' said the watchman. However, Mr. Iqbal acquired land near the highway to construct a motel and museum hall, where the remains of Mehr Garh will be stored for public to visit.
From Professor Mansoor Akbar Kundi's book Balochistan: A Socio-Cultural and Political Analysis
The author published many research articles for foreign journals of international repute.