The 1958, Lahore Fort archaeological survey revealed a host of evidence in the shape of pottery dated at 4,500 years old. At 50 feet, the Dewan-e-Aam dig came up with several layers of rooms and ancient evidence of habitation.

The report, amazingly, was then classified as ‘Secret’ and hidden away. That remains the state of mind of our bureaucracy. A few scholarly research papers on the findings have certainly come about, but nothing of importance beyond that. But then the world of archaeological research never stops and based on those pottery discoveries a new line of findings has appeared.

A research team of combined scholars of Cambridge and Oxford universities departments of archaeology have for the last few years been quietly working away to make sense of those findings. Last week, a talk by Dr Akshyeta Suryanarayan of Oxford on ‘Invisible Food: discovering organic products in Early Bronze Age Pottery of the Indus Valley Civilisation’ brought forth an amazing set of discoveries on palaeodiet of the bronze age, comparing pastoral product found from a series of sites.

The four sites from which over 4,000 years old pottery was compared, were the Lahore Fort, Harappa, Mohenjo Daro and a site in Oman in the Arabian Peninsula. Oils and foods extracted from the microscopic grooves of ancient pottery were analysed and compared. The results have been astounding and bring forth an ancient history worth considering.

The microscopic food traces are of pastoral oils and wheat, cooked in these pots. It is very clear that the area of Lahore and Harappa were intrinsically pastoral, with some agro cultivation. This ties in clearly with the fact that the movement of humans from the west was initially pastoral, followed by agriculturalists. The presence of plant oils is clear, and the movement of these products from Oman to Lahore is evident.

What is also very clear from the findings is the long-distance maritime movement of these products, including copper, textiles and ceramics. An analysis of lipid products of all four sites, and their comparison brings forth an amazing uniformity. This research provides a new look at the relationship between the peoples of all four sites, as well as the maritime trade.

In these columns we have been discussing the ancient port of Khizri Gateway, renamed by Maharajah Ranjit Singh as Sheranwala, and how trade with the ancient world was carried out. It is very clear that even though 4,500 years ago, Lahore would have been a few huts, or a small village on a hillock, but as it had a river port of sorts, goods and animals did certainly move along the river and beyond.

The lipid research and the animal oils discovered at all four sites have a similarity, and the fact that there was goods movement from inner Punjab to the sea and beyond is clear. We have in past columns put forth the proposition that the ‘Mahabharata’ war was fought basically over control of Lahore’s river port. That it was provided moral reasons is what every economic reason is covered by.

Let us move from the pottery discoveries of the Lahore Fort to those of Harappa. From there a lot of pottery emerged. The reason being that a much larger archaeological survey was undertaken and continues to this date. There is ample evidence of the pastoral nature of the city. That it matches the findings of the Lahore Fort is not surprising.

The research goes on to Mohenjo Daro, and there the amazing discoveries of pottery and other products brings forth the connection between that ancient Sindh city and not only with Harappa and Lahore, but very much with the Omani findings. The pastoral oils, as well as meat and wheat traces, clearly show the evolution of the foods of the Indus Valley Civilisation.

The latest findings provide a new means of comparing the relationship of the Indus Valley Civilisation and the South East Arabian areas. The finds in Oman are very similar, and lipid DNA research has brought forth a similarity not known before. But then this is the beginning of the research and as we have stated time and again that our ancient city and land has been trading with the world for thousands of years.

The world of archaeology and history and research of different sorts all tie up to provide us with a very clear picture of our past. Our culture is strongly tied up with various shades of beliefs. What we are today is because of our past beliefs, for we have been idol worshipers like the nomads from central Asia.

Over time we have been Buddhists, Hindus, Zoroastrians, and other such multi-god believers. Islam came to our city recently and is now the dominant belief system. But traces of all the past behaviour patterns remain strongly entrenched within us. Just as our connection with ancient foods and its sources remains within us.

Over the last few years this column has been strongly advocating the need for a lot of archaeological work to be carried out within the old Lahore city. There are so many places where the possibility of some findings exists. Just one 50-feet dig in the Lahore Fort is not the way we should be carrying forth our research work.

On a practical level we see that the Punjab department of archaeology is now governed by a tourist-based dispensation. This is an unacceptable way of carrying forth our research work. We also know that our school books carry more ‘belief-based’ texts rather than factual discourses.

If anything, this is not education by any yardstick. This is how not to educate our young. Our history should be factual and not personality based, or belief based. We have miles to travel yet and emerge from an imagined to a real world.

Published in Dawn, February 4th, 2024