http://www.weeklyindependent.com/feature2.htm
by Sofia Fazal
Many archaeological sites have been discovered in Balochistan having the traces of civilisations of before Christ era of which Mehr Garh’s site is not only the oldest in Pakistan but in the entire South Asia as it belongs to the period of the new stone age. The antiques recovered from this site are considered very important from the academic point of view. This site is located on the bank river Bolan near settlement of Raisani tribe in Bolan district.
The excavation of this site commenced on the latest scientific footing in 1947 by the French experts with collaboration of Pakistani archaeologists. This excavation continued for about a decade in various phases, revealing the 7000 years old cultural heritage of the area. The outcome of the excavation and research studies on the antiques recovered from this site are undoubtedly a valuable asset of the history of mankind.
It is an established fact that all the civilisations of the world were born and flourished in the river valleys. The plains of Kachhi, or the basin of river Bolan, were having all the required geographical conditions to help nurture the human civilisation, but even a couple of decades ago no one could imagine that the arid barren plains and dry hills of the area had hidden the treasures of a rich culture and civilisation as old as belonging to the era of 7000 BC.
The experts have found the traces of fauna and flora from the Mehr Garh site, which are now almost non-existent. These traces suggest that the climate of the area had been quite different at that time. This area had abundant resources of water while the agriculture was the main source of livelihood. These plains had enough potential at that time to feed their inhabitants.
The articles recovered during the excavation from the Mehr Garh site reflected that this village was founded around 7000 BC. The people, even in that era, were well conversant to construct the houses with the mud bricks and cultivate the crops besides hunting the wild animals with sharp-edged stone equipment. The bones of the animals found at the site revealed that these animals were wild and not pet. Some of the stones were sharpened in a way like a saw, perhaps, for reaping the crops.
But, the bones and stone weapons further suggest that the people had started taming up some animals like cows and buffalos perhaps to use them for agriculture and food purposes. In this age they started making earthenware, which reflects that the people of the new Stone Age had stepped forward towards progress and entered into an era of innovations.
During the excavation at this site the experts had discovered seven layers of habitation, having different characteristics and denoting several of progress of civilisation attained in different eras. It is believed that first phase of the civilisation continued for about one millennium i.e. from 7000 BC to 8000 BC, approximately. In the second phase the lifestyle and the dwelling remained almost unchanged, but in the course of time the people started using clay wares. Some stone mills used for grinding wheat or barley were also found beside the mud bricks used in the construction of the huts. Impressions of ears of wheat and barely were found on some bricks showing that when the bricks were cast, the ears were spread on the ground. It also proves that the people of this era were used to cultivate these crops in that age. In this second phase of civilisation, the experts also recovered cottonseeds and cereal, which was astonishing for the experts, as they were not expecting the cultivation of cotton in such a primitive age.
The articles belonging to the third phase of civilisation of Mehr Garh reflected that the people had become more cultured over the years and the sophistication and beauty had come to their earthenware. These wares were engraved with traditional designers with black and yellow colours. These engravings were having the design of wild dear, fish, flowers and geometrical figures. This designing truly reflect the aesthetic sense of dwellers of this village, who were passing through various phases of civilisation. Perhaps this was the era when the mankind entered into the age of metals by discovering copper. In this phase the experts found statues most of them were of women. The statues were made of clay. It is believed that these statues were worshiped by the natives because such statues have also been found from other archaeological sites in the province. These statues wore necklaces with their hands on their breasts or waist. Some of them also carrying child in their laps.
Although it is possible that these statues may be merely toys for children but their recovery in a large number coupled with old concept of deities in this area compels us to link them with their religious beliefs. Besides, the statues of bulls were also found from this site, which suggests that in addition to the worship of duties, the people have also been worshiping the animals of their statues.
The experts also recovered the dead bodies and skeletons from this site which were buried along with the necklaces of pearls and small earthen wares. It reflects that in even in that age the concept of a second life was there and dead bodies were buried with “utensils” for the second phase of life. Although the research on these skeletons is still incomplete, yet, according to initial studies the people living at Mehr Garh were of some Mediterranean breed. Some of them may be of Mongol breed, as well. This phase of the Mehr Garh’s civilisation is as old as about 4000 BC.
In the fourth phase of civilisation of Mehr Garh, the clay wares made remarkable development. New designs were introduced to cater for different needs of cooking and serving food. These wares were polished by some red coloured material. This polishing would not only beautify the wares but would also make them leak proof.
Perhaps, this was the age when the people of Mehr Garh had entered into asocial interaction with the people of other parts of Balochistan as the clay pottery found from some other archaeological sites were having the same designs and colours. In this age the white colour was also used to decorate the clay wares in addition to black and red while the original colour of pottery was yellow.
The statues deities recovered from this layer of excavation were more refined and beautiful reflecting the expertise and workmanship of sculptures of the time. These statues and deities are true reflectors of the civilisation and the culture of that era. Some of these statues give a brief idea about the dresses of that time. The female deities reflect that the women of that era used to wear laces etc. around their waist and did not cover their upper body except use of necklaces. However, nothing could reveal as to how they used to weave their clothes. Some of the deities had their hair braded and their back and shoulders. Most of the male statues wore turbans, which is still in the vogue in the province.
The fifth phase of civilisation of Mehr Garh commences around 3500 BC when the people were more social and the clay wares had developed to a great extent. The people of the era used to travel between other villages and towns of that time sharing cultural heritage with the people of the other parts of the province including the Quetta valley.
Around 3000 BC the civilisation entered the sixth phase which was distinct for sophistication in pottery and sculptures. Around 2500 BC the civilisation of Mehr Garh entered the seventh and the last phase where the population of the town had grown enough and climatic changes adversely affecting the weather of the area had commenced. In this era, due to unfavourable climate changes, the people started shifting to other areas vacating Mehr Garh and other villages of the province.
Some of the people of Mehr Garh settled at a village Noshero, about 9-km away from Mehr Garh but the traces of other people could not be found. The experts believe that at the time of this mass migration from Mehr Garh and other parts of Balochistan, new dwellings surfaced in the Indus Valley including Amri and Kot Deji. The experts working on antiques, recovered from Indus Valley, inferred that these dwellings were established by the immigrants from Balochistan as the style of the houses and antiques recovered from the archaeological sites of Kot Deji and Amri were identical to that recovered from Mehr Garh and other places of province.
It is believed that the scarcity of water, limited resources and adverse climatic conditions had forced the people of the province to migrate to the Indus Valley where there were abundance of wildlife and greenery. These people later founded the renowned Moenjodaro on the Indus river bank around 2300 BC which was a centre of the whole of Indus Valley civilisation.
But it does not mean that the plains of Kachhi had lost the entire civilisation. The village of Noshero remained there for centuries to come and nurtured a civilisation as the people vanished away. In 1700 to 1800 BC, the village of Noshero also turned into ruins. Perhaps this was the time when a village Pirak was founded a few kilometres south of Sibi. But, the village could not last long and met the same fate around 800 BC. The people of Pirak were well versed with the use of iron utensils and cultivation of crops.
In brief, Kachhi plains of Balochistan remained one of the main centres of civilisation from 7000 BC to 800 BC and played a pivotal role in the refinement of civilisation and culture of the mankind.