Historical artefacts: The curious case of missing keys

Locker contained gold stupa, bracelet, Kanishka’s relic casket.

PESHAWAR:

The keys to a locker containing precious artefacts, some of which date back to the 2nd century, have been lost by the Directorate of Archaeology, The Express Tribune has learnt.

The locker at the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is said to contain at least five rare gold objects in the possession of the provincial archaeology directorate, including a gold girdle weighing over 14 kilogrammes. According to sources, the locker had three keys, one each in possession of the SBP Peshawar branch, and the director and secretary of the archaeology department. However, the copies supposed to be with both officials are lost. All three keys are needed to open the locker.

The issue came to light following the death of former K-P archaeology director Saleh Mohammad when his office was sealed and his personal belongings and official documents sifted, a source informed. “Due to the explosive nature of this disappearance, the issue is still under wraps,” he added.

The source further said the key was searched for but could not be found and the other one in possession of the secretary is also lost. “It’s not clear how both keys were lost and who lost them. Secretaries usually come and go, that is how it might have happened,” he said.

Items stored in the locker include a gold stupa, a gold bracelet, Kanishka’s relic casket dating back to the 2nd century, a Pattan gold girdle and a gold stag. The girdle alone weighs around 14 kilogrammes (kg).  However, Ahmed Hassan Dani in his book “Human Records on Karakoram Highway,” puts its weight at about 16 kg. “The creatures depicted on this girdle link it to Scythian art of Trans-Pamir regions, and it has no Indian influence on it,” writes Dani.



The one of its kind Kanishka relic casket recovered from Shah Ji Dheri in Peshawar is said to be the first object with the city’s name inscribed on it.

Director Archaeology Dr Shah Nazar said the items were shifted to a SBP locker in 2006 because they were too precious. However, he expressed ignorance about the missing keys. “If the department doesn’t have the keys then the bank has them,” he said.

A source within the Archaeology Department said that rent was being paid to the SBP earlier, but for the past few years there has been no record of payment and the bank has not asked for locker rent either.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 21^st, 2013.