KARACHI: Remains of a pre-historic settlement of Kot Diji period have been discovered near Taxila. The latest discovery, according to Dr F.A. Khan, Director of Archaeology, has pushed back the ancient history of Ghandhara region by some 2,000 years — that is from 600 BC to about 2,600 BC.

Dr Khan told a press conference yesterday [Jan 12] that preliminary exploration carried out in the vicinity of Taxila opened important and exciting possibilities in regard to the beginning of pre-historic civilisation of the Ghandara region. He described the dramatic discovery as important as that of Mohen-jo-Daro, Harappa, Amri and Kot Diji. He said the material which included stone objects, terracotta animal figurines, bangles and beads, copper pins and fairly large collection of pot-shards — both plain and painted — was collected from the surface of the slopes of the site during the course of field reconnaissance on Dec 24 last.

These objects, he said, left no doubt as to the pre-historic character of the site. About the terracotta objects, he said, they bore a marked similarity to the representation of a bull mounted on the ‘scarlet’ coloured pottery discovered at Susa in Iran which dated back about 2,000-2,600 BC. Sarai Khola Pottery, he said, combined elegance with strength and simplicity.

Published in Dawn, January 13th, 2018