Archaeological
news from Pakistan
only reaches us sparingly. As a result, the remote Swat Valley
remains as hidden to us as it was in the days of Sir Aurel Stein and even Alexander!
That does not
mean that the northwestern corner of Pakistan was totally isolated in
antiquity. Approximately 150 Buddhist heritage sites have been counted so far.
The Buddhist monastery in Barikot (Bazira in antiquity) from the 1st century AD was the latest
(see: Old Buddhist complex discovered in Pakistan).
Alexander certainly crossed the Swat
Valley, which was then part of India.
The spectacular hoard of coins retrieved from a well at Mir Zakah is there to prove his presence
(see: Alexander’s
real face).
More recent excavations
high on a hill overlooking the Swat
Valley revealed an
ancient cemetery. Pending Carbon dating, archaeologists suggest that this was
the burial site of the Dardic people who lived here between 1000 and 500 BC. As
many as 32 sealed graves were discovered, shedding light upon the burial
rituals of this community. It appears that the graves were used for more than
one generation, adding the dead to the existing burial site. Typically, the
graves contained two skeletons, one male and one female, facing each other.
In 327 BC, Alexander marched through the Swat Valley
and the village
of Udegram
or Odigram. In antiquity this was
the large city of Ora,
surrounded by defensive walls running up the slopes of the high mountain. It is
roughly located between Swat and Barikot. This is the area populated by
the Assacenians who sought refuge on the Aornos Rock.
Amazingly
enough, none of the graves contained any weapons. Archaeologists discovered,
however, hairpins, some pieces of iron, beautiful pots, and a variety of
ornaments executed in copper and in bronze.
Most of the
excavations in the Swat Valley are centered on Barikot, although the cemetery
of Udegram
holds important treasures of its own. As always, the main concern is to find
enough money and the right expertise to proceed further.
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