LAHORE, Aug 1: The Lahore Museum may be given under the administrative control of the Punjab Archaeology Department, it is learnt. The move is a part of the archaeology department’s effort to change its nomenclature — the Department of Archaeology & Museum.

A summery to change its nomenclature has been sent to the secretary (regulation) for submission to the chief secretary for approval. At present, the archaeology department has two museums, one in Kasur and the other in Lahore Fort. New museums in Kalar Kahar, Gujrat and Sargodha are being constructed.

Officials believe that after taking the administrative control of the federally administered monuments, the provincial archaeology department will also take over Harappa and Taxila museums. The decision to transfer the federally administered monuments to Punjab is in the offing.

The proposal of handing over the Lahore Museum to the archaeology department has been discussed with reference to changing the nomenclature of the archaeology department.

It is said that after taking over of all museums in Punjab by the archaeology department it will not be wise on the part of the government to allow the Lahore Museum to maintain its autonomous status.

The Lahore Museum houses a variety of antiquities presenting a complete cross-section of our cultural history starting from the earliest days of human life in the stone-age period of some 10 million years. Only 50 per cent antiquities of the museum is on display.

Built in 1856, the Lahore Museum was not new to British India because the Madras Central Museum and Victoria and Albert museums, Karachi, had already been functioning since 1851.

The first museum of its kind in Lahore was established in the famous Wazir Khan’s Baradari constructed in 1635. Earlier, the baradari had remained in the use of Sikhs as military barracks.

When Britishers arrived in Lahore they continued the previous use of baradari by the Sikhs. Later, when the cantonment was moved to Mian Mir area the baradari turned into a settlement office, a telegraph office, and then a museum. The present building of the Lahore Museum is in its third house.