HARIPUR: The residents have discovered artefacts, including a palm-sized Buddha head, during excavation of a mound near a graveyard in Khalo village of Ghazi tehsil.

The archaeology department’s officials seized artefacts and shifted them to the Nikra Museum of Khanpur besides sealing the site for further excavation, official sources said.

According to site supervisor Raja Adnan, the earth and sand mound adjacent to Khalo village’s graveyards was excavated to create space for new graves.

Using use an excavator machine, the residents found an ancient wall, a palm-sized Buddha head and a small sculpture piece and informed the police about them.

The police called officials of the Nikra Museum to get hold of those artefacts.

When contacted, sub-regional officer of the archaeology department, Hazara, Nawazuddin confirmed the development and said the discovered artefacts and wall dated back to 2nd Century AD.

He said the site was surveyed by the officials of the department, who recommended further excavation, which was likely to begin in a few days.

The official said the Bhudda head’s length and width were four inches and 2.5 inches respectively.

He said the site was expected to be one of the biggest in Ghazi area measuring around one kanal.

Meanwhile, chairman of the Hazara University’s Archaeology Department Prof Shakirullah Khan told Dawn that the discovered wall was a piece of Buddhist architecture from Kushan period of 3rd century BC-5th century AD.

He said the palm-sized Buddha head was made of the gray schist stone in typical Gandhara style of Buddhist art, while the other sculpture was a block of Kanjure stone, which was used in Buddhist architecture.

“The site is of great importance and therefore, it should be excavated for further discoveries and preservation,” he said.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2022