Mound Dillu Roy exploration to begin soon
Project will be completed at a cost of Rs17.323 million
PHOTO: FILE
MULTAN:
Archaeological exploration at Mound Dillu Roy, a Buddhist era site in Dera Ghazi Khan district, is likely to begin next month for the first time in decades under an ongoing Rs17.323 million project.
Work has resumed to complete the remaining portion of the 6,400 foot-long boundary wall to protect the site, said Incharge Archaeology Department, Ghulam Muhammad.
Talking to APP, he said around 5,000 feet of the boundary wall has already been built. Officials would acquire metal detectors and other tools to be used by archaeologists to select points for exploration. These will enable them to discover antiquities and traces of an ancient civilisation. The site is located exactly on the border of Rajanpur and Dera Ghazi Khan districts. The major part of around 480 kanal site falls in district Dera Ghazi Khan and only three kanals of it are on Jampur tehsil of Rajanpur district.
Muhammad said the site was notified as protected in February 1964. A study and ancient artifacts recovered, thus far, far revealed it was occupied by the Buddhists in the Scytho-Parthian period dating back to the Ist century B.C. to 2nd century A.C. It lies 2.5 miles northwest of tehsil Jampur and consists of two mounds, roughly 100-150 feet apart. The larger one measuring 1460x800x15 feet marks the site of the city and the smaller one, about 380 feet North-South, 950 feet East-West, has been identified as the remains of a fort.
Both the mounds have been dug by local farmers which exposed the historic plan of houses and streets. The mud brick walls have escaped complete destruction. Some of the walls with traces of mud plaster stand as high as 12 feet. At certain places, a complete plan of rooms is traceable which varies from 5x5 feet to15-10 feet.
All the articles, antiquities found from Mound Dillu Roy have been kept at the store of Harappa Museum.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 15th, 2018.
Archaeological exploration at Mound Dillu Roy, a Buddhist era site in Dera Ghazi Khan district, is likely to begin next month for the first time in decades under an ongoing Rs17.323 million project.
Work has resumed to complete the remaining portion of the 6,400 foot-long boundary wall to protect the site, said Incharge Archaeology Department, Ghulam Muhammad.
Talking to APP, he said around 5,000 feet of the boundary wall has already been built. Officials would acquire metal detectors and other tools to be used by archaeologists to select points for exploration. These will enable them to discover antiquities and traces of an ancient civilisation. The site is located exactly on the border of Rajanpur and Dera Ghazi Khan districts. The major part of around 480 kanal site falls in district Dera Ghazi Khan and only three kanals of it are on Jampur tehsil of Rajanpur district.
Muhammad said the site was notified as protected in February 1964. A study and ancient artifacts recovered, thus far, far revealed it was occupied by the Buddhists in the Scytho-Parthian period dating back to the Ist century B.C. to 2nd century A.C. It lies 2.5 miles northwest of tehsil Jampur and consists of two mounds, roughly 100-150 feet apart. The larger one measuring 1460x800x15 feet marks the site of the city and the smaller one, about 380 feet North-South, 950 feet East-West, has been identified as the remains of a fort.
Both the mounds have been dug by local farmers which exposed the historic plan of houses and streets. The mud brick walls have escaped complete destruction. Some of the walls with traces of mud plaster stand as high as 12 feet. At certain places, a complete plan of rooms is traceable which varies from 5x5 feet to15-10 feet.
All the articles, antiquities found from Mound Dillu Roy have been kept at the store of Harappa Museum.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 15th, 2018.