THERE seems to be much to celebrate on the heritage and culture front in Punjab, where experts have been at work preserving and digitising heritage documents and have plans to further explore archaeological sites. Firstly, the Walled City of Lahore Authority appears to have achieved great success in preserving thousands of archival documents, glass plates, negatives and photographs after discovering a long-abandoned cache in the Kharak Singh Haveli, part of Lahore Fort’s historic Akbari Mahal Complex. The WCLA, which took over the fort in August 2023, had assembled a team of 12 archivists and historians, supported by local colleges, to oversee the preservation of the historical records after stumbling upon them by accident during a clean-up and restoration drive. “What began as a rescue operation soon evolved into one of Punjab’s most ambitious archival projects,” reads a news report about the effort published in this paper. Two years from when the project began, more than 20,000 documents, 10,000 photographs and 4,500 glass plates have been cleaned, stabilised and catalogued. Students of history can look forward to browsing these records once they are digitised and made publicly available, which the WCLA says it hopes to do soon. The effort should be applauded.

Meanwhile, Punjab’s archaeology department has said it is initiating “a major new scientific programme” to initiate fresh excavations at Harappa as well as other sites of historical significance across the province. This is an exciting prospect for students of ancient history as well as those interested in the subcontinent’s sociocultural evolution. “At Harappa, the new excavations will employ digital mapping, scientific dating and advanced documentation techniques to present the cultural development of the Indus Valley Civilisation in a more comprehensive manner,” according to a report on the development. The authority will then get to work on a structured excavation programme for Gandharan sites as well. Pakistan’s rich archaeological heritage is celebrated worldwide, even if local interest seems to be lacking. Punjab’s archaeology authorities now want to position the province as a leading hub for heritage-based tourism and research. This is a wonderful ambition. Such initiatives not only enrich global scholarship but also offer Pakistanis an opportunity to reclaim and reconnect with their own past. One hopes this renewed energy will foster greater local pride and curiosity about the cultures that flourished here millennia ago.

Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2025