LARKANA: The process of separating and cleaning a bunch of coins — discovered at a place within Mohenjo Daro a few days back — could not be started yet for want of Korean experts’ technical support, likely to be available soon, sources privy to the foreign and local experts engaged in the process told Dawn on Sunday.

A pot full of copper coins was discovered by a team of experts from the Divinity street on the western side of Mohenjo Daro stupa, on Thursday (November 16). The team has described it as “the first remarkable discovery of artefacts at the 5,000-year-old remains after 93 years”.

The Korean experts currently working on the Gandhara Civilisation had established a modern laboratory in Islamabad, the sources said.

Director of Archaeology at Mohenjo Daro Dr Syed Shakir Shah, speaking to Dawn said that he had contacted the ‘foreign’ experts working on different archaeological sites in the country. He avoided identifying the country which the experts belong to. “They have modern equipment with them,” he said.

The job of separating and cleaning artefacts requires highly professional handling so as to avoid any damage to them.

Dr Shah said he approached the head of the experts’ team through an e-mail and expected a response on Monday.

He wanted to take them on board in the process so that application of modern methodologies and technologies and later deciphering the inscriptions on them could take off well, another source said.

It was learnt that some other coins found very close to the pot were separated and lab workers were waiting for permission from the director of archaeology at the site to undertake the job.

Ghulam Mustafa Shar, a former head of archaeology at Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur Mir’s, along with Zaheeruddin Shar, a former curator who served at Mohenjo Daro, visited the site and also its laboratory. They discussed with lab technicians ways to separate the amalgamated coins. They also met the archaeology director.

The lab technicians have sought a set of appropriate tools as well as chemicals from government to enable them to initiate the job, sources at the site said on Sunday.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2023