KARACHI: The ruins of Bhambhore have baffled and challenged scholars, historians and archaeologists since the start of the 20th century. It has been for years visited frequently by historians and archaeologists, who poked and probed to ascertain whether it was the place where Sassui hailed from or, as many historians claim, houses the ruins of Deybul, the city which was conquered by Muhammad Bin Qasim in 712 AD.

And at the hub of this excavation project is a joint Pakistani and Italian historical and archaeological mission where Prof Dr Valeria Fiorani Piacentini, scientific director for the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy, works tirelessly alongside a group of 10 Pakistanis, headed by Naheed Zehra, director for exploration and excavations.

Talking to Dawn, Prof Valeria said that from 2010 five seasons of excavation and research have been conducted, with periods of continual work as well as disrupted seasons. “The licence expired in 2015, and was never extended. Then in May 2017 a formal request from the government of Sindh was forward to the president of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Prof Franco Anelli, which was accepted,” she said.

‘Bhambhore was at the centre of trade with a large part of the world’

On Oct 20, 2017, a memorandum of understanding was signed between Manzoor Ahmed Kanasro, director general for antiquities, of the culture, tourism and antiquities department, government of Sindh, and Prof Franco Anelli. This allowed the joint mission to carry out research activities in the field of history and archaeology, with specific regard to the sites of Bhambhore and Ranikot. There are also plans to develop a common programme in the field of formation and training (theoretical and on the job) of young officers in the fields of archaeology and research, involving academic and administrative units.

Archaeological and historical fieldwork, research in laboratories and, of course, in libraries has finally resumed in Bhambhore.

“We now have a flesh of what this site and city was,” said Prof Valeria, while sharing the discoveries made in Bhambhore which include homes and settlements, cemeteries, pottery, and skeletons with arrowheads or spearheads in the skulls or other parts of the body. “A wealth of artefacts has also emerged such as glass, semi-manufactured shells, manufactured ivory and bones, wood, little objects, pottery, iron and copper tools. All these discoveries indicate that crafts and metallurgic activity were intensely practised in given phases of the peopling of the site.”

She recalled the first time she visited Bhambhore: “The site was totally abandoned and little villages made by F.A. Khan were totally collapsing. But the museum situated there was wonderful and a source of invaluable information. It is a jewel because if you want to have an overall idea of Bhambhore, you will find everything there and the artefacts [are] very well looked after. However, F.A. Khan’s excavation notes have been lost; all is left are some of his articles and a little booklet still being reprinted, which is perfect and every single thing in it is spot on with regards to the site.”

Bhambhore today is a bewildering area, added Prof Valeria. What has been found indicates the area to be an interlacing of different religions and a hub of religious creeds, a remarkable harbour, a cultural hub, a bastion town, a thriving marketplace of luxury goods and at the centre of trade with a large part of the world, including Inner Asia, Eastern Asia, the subcontinent and the Indian Ocean.

Intricate network of structures

Prof Valeria spoke about how the campaigns so far have revealed an intricate network of structures belonging to the Sassanian and pre-Sassanian periods, and also the Islamic era. “Under the Sassanian area there was a lot of material coming out, but the water table prevented us from going deeper. However, our findings on Bhambhore with Dr Monique Kervran from France, who worked at the site with me before she became too unwell to continue, indicated that Bhambhore was Barbarikon, which was a Greek name given to a seaport.”

Exploring the outside area of Bhambhore is now part of the agenda, said Prof Valeria. “We are planning to concentrate on the industrial area and the stratigraphic sequencing is being finished. We have found unique workshops of ivory which have never been found anywhere in the world. We identified two types of typologies found — one is the cheaper one and the other an expensive one which is truly remarkable and for which the merchants must have paid a higher price.

“Each shop produced a distinct item and then was sold to another person for the next stage of production. Imagine the extent of sophistication of this market economy that existed; it is industrialisation at its best. All the research so far indicates that Bhambhore is in fact Deybul. There is no doubt it is Deybul.”

Director general for antiquities Kanasro, when asked whether the joint mission successfully proves that Bhambhore is the historic site of Deybul, said that a confirmation and formal announcement would soon be made while the project continued.

He hailed the project as a great triumph for the teams of researchers who had worked tirelessly and unearthed precious historic information. “The government of Sindh is fully committed to this project and we are helping and facilitating the mission in all ways possible, especially with regards to providing them unfettered access to the area and the right tools to conduct their excavations and conservation. It is a big achievement as a big business hub has been discovered which traded from South Asia all the way to Egypt.”

Mr Kanasro also said that opening the site to the public would allow local and international historians and archaeologists to access the ruins and allow them to share input. There are also plans to add on to the museum and extend it further, especially with regards to including the latest findings of the joint mission.

Published in Dawn, February 6th, 2019