Remnants of a past

Imagine a vast flowing river entrenching itself amongst the mud that guides it on its path towards the Arabian Sea. Imagine a colossal number of tribes and villages dotting the banks, expanding outwards like a fractal. Imagine the sheer complexity of their communication, the sheer magnitude of their agriculture, the sheer amounts of livestock and people walking along the banks of the river. Imagine how vast and captivating the scene would be.

What I’ve just described doesn’t exist anymore. The scene that was painted is just one instance of ancient Pakistani culture, portraying the Indus River Valley Civilization in its undying glory. Portraying a hub of communication and commerce that makes the Roman Empire look like a toddler. The soil that its townspeople, its warriors, and its leaders walked upon is the very same soil that Karachi, Islamabad, and Lahor were built upon. In an age where technology is prized and the advancement of human civilization is prioritized, the preservation of ancient history becomes even more paramount. Mohenjo-Daro is just one successfully preserved fragment of our past, but what about the others? What about the villages we haven’t uncovered, or the archaeological sites ruined by urbanization or industrial progress? What if Mohenjo-Daro or Harappa falls victim to the latest machination of urbanization? What then?

This issue is not only prevalent in Pakistan. It occurs throughout the greater world, causing the previous chapters of human history to slowly, but inevitably, be eradicated. Sana’a, Yemen, a remnant of an ancient Arab civilisation, was destroyed. Hundreds of pre-colonial homes in Lima, Peru, have been crushed to make way for roads, schools, and highways. Part of Timbuktu fell in 2012. The effect of urbanisation, industrialisation, and in some cases, warfare, are evident. Unlike other constructions, historical landmarks cannot be rebuilt without losing their authenticity and subsequent value.

How can we preserve such landmarks? Places in rural areas, like Mohenjo-Daro, can be flagged as a national site. As such, restrictions on industrialising the land around it, as well as littering, polluting, or contaminating the area would be tightly enforced. This aura of protection can be expanded to cover any and all archaeological sites within the borders of Pakistan. Additionally, increasing awareness and education about our ancient history, and the implications of losing such a history, would allow for generational support in regard to defending the relics of the past from future damage. Education can be promoted by the construction of museums that are devoted to exploring the past of Pakistan, before and after it officially became Pakistan. The artefacts exhibited in the museum can be derived directly from the archaeological sites, and so it becomes a rapid cycle, cycling between increased historical education and increased archaeological support. Multiple museums with a similar purpose already exist in the world. The Louvre in Paris, the Natural History Museum in London, and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington D.C. With the correct steps, museums in Pakistan can be attributed the same level of revere and prestige that the above-mentioned examples wield. We have the historical artefacts for it. They are just waiting to be dug up and safely held from the dig site to its exhibit.

The preservation of such historically significant sites should be a national concern. We should aim to preserve any and all elements of the Indus River Valley Civilization, for it was Pakistan before Pakistan became Pakistan. It carries weight in history for being the predecessors to our modern nation. It showcases the historical significance of our land, and the preservation of our ancestors would allow Pakistan and the greater world to explore the history behind the Indus River Valley to a scale previously unprecedented.

The Colosseum and the Parthenon can still be explored within Rome and Athens. The pyramids of Egypt are still upright in Cairo. Teotihuacán can be seen within Mexico. All of these places are celebrated worldwide for their preservation of historically important landmarks. Imagine the promise of being able to display the remnants of a civilization, far older than any of these, within a museum, an archaeological site, or within a national park.