Plan finalised to protect Neolithic site of Mehrgarh

Efforts also under way to preserve Mir Chakar Fort in Sibbi, Miri Kalat and Shahi Tump in Turbat

QUETTA: The Balochistan government has finalised a plan to protect the Neolithic site of Mehrgarh, provincial tourism and culture secretary Zafar Ali Buledi said on Friday.

Besides, he added, efforts are also underway to preserve the Mir Chakar Fort in Sibbi and the historical sites of Miri Kalat and Shahi Tump in Turbat.

The secretary was speaking at a seminar organised by the provincial tourism and culture department at the Sikandar Jamali Auditorium of the Civil Secretariat Quetta.

The official said the government is utilising all resources to boost tourism and cultural activities in the province. He said construction of a museum would commence soon.

Addressing the seminar, the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) Director General Kamran Lashari said provincial governments needed to take effective measures to secure historical sites.

He also highlighted the need for spreading awareness among the province’s young people about the importance and history of archaeological monuments.

Balochistan has one of the earliest human settlements in the world in Mehrgarh that existed around 7,000 BC to 3,000 BC. The site, discovered by French archaeologists, is believed to be the earliest civilisation in the world, as it pre-dates the civilisations of Egypt and Mesopotamia.

The site is one of the earliest Neolithic sites where archaeologists found evidence of domestication of animals and cereal cultivation – wheat and barley – and also craftsmanship.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 15^th, 2019.