French Contribution In Preserving Pak’s Ancient Heritage

Prof Dr M. Ashraf Khan

Islamabad: There has been an active and persistent collaboration between Pakistan and France in the field of Archaeology since the early years of 1950.  Raul Curial, a well-known French Archaeologist, served the Government of Pakistan as director of archaeology from 1954 to 1958.  Curial is credited to have reorganized the federal department to initiate multifold activities.

It was also during his tenure that other French archaeologists started showing keen interest in the survey, exploration, and excavation of various archaeological sites in Pakistan. French Archaeological Mission headed by Dr J. M. Casal surveyed the areas on the west of River Indus in Sindh and Balochistan province in 1957-58, to collect information on archaeological remains in that area.

This survey resulted in more elaborate programmes of regular excavations.  The beginning was made at a site called Amri in Dadu, a district of Sindh province, which continued from 1959-62.  Later on, the Mission extended its activities to various other sites including Nandowari, District Kalat (Balochistan), and Pirak in District Kacchi (Balochistan).

The French collaboration was further extended when the late Dr J.F. Jarriage, former President/Director of the Museum Guimet, Paris initiated archaeological research at Mehrgarh, Nausharo in Kacchi plain and Dr. Roland Besenwal at Shaitump near Turbat, Balochistan. Due to discoveries of the French Archaeological Mission, the history of Pakistan has been pushed back from 2500 BCE to 8000 BCE.

After the retirement of Dr. Roland Besenwal, Dr. Aurore DIDIER shouldered the responsibility of furthering the archaeological research on the prehistoric period of Pakistan. After completing exploratory and excavation work at Shalt ump in Balochistan, Dr Aurore initiated archaeological exploration/excavation in central/western Sindh (region of Sindh Kohistan) in 2014. The purpose of this archaeological research is to explore connections between Balochistan and the lower Indus Valley during the 4th-3^rd millennium BCE. The French Mission has completed two seasons of research work in Sindh Province and the Mission intends to expand its activities at a large scale.  The research being carried out will help to understand the development of the Indus Valley Civilization and its inter-regional interaction system.

The French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) Mission for the Indus Basin signed an MoU with the Taxila Institute of Asian Civilizations, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad in 2014 for cooperation in archaeological research. Under this MoU, the French Mission has provided training to the students of the Taxila Institute of Asian Civilizations, Quaid-i-Azam University in the field of Archaeology, drawing, topographical survey, and use of GIS in archaeology.

French Archaeological Mission to Indus Basin, Pakistan headed by Dr. Aurore Didier (Director of the Mission) and Mr. David Sarmiento Castillo (Deputy Director of the Mission) are conducting archaeological excavations at Chanu-Daro in Nawab Shah, Sindh, Pakistan since 2018 with Sindh Antiquities Department and Department of Archaeology and Museums Islamabad.

This agreement offered Pakistani students an opportunity to train in techniques of field archaeology (excavation) at Chanu-Daro Sindh. A short-period scholarship financed by the French Embassy in Islamabad and HEC Islamabad in cooperation with Hubert-Curien Partnership (Peridot Program) to provide training in field archaeology, museum studies, and conservation studies. The CNRS represented by MAFBI Nanterre France has signed an MoU with the Department of Archaeology, Balochistan University in 2021.

Prof. Dr. M. Ashraf Khan is a former Director of Taxila Institute of Asian Civilizations, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad. Dr. Khan has contributed more than 100 research articles and 10 books on Archaeology, Gandhara Art, Stucco Art and Ethnology of Swat. He has been awarded with Tamgha-i-Imtiaz by the Government of Pakistan.