Photo: Express Web
Lahore: The Punjab government has decided to excavate the 5,000-year-old city of Gunveriwala buried in the desert of Cholistan.
Applications will be invited from those interested in excavating this ancient city in the next few days. A team of archaeologists visited the ruins of Gunveerwala last few days.
Afzal Khan, a senior archaeologist and former director of Punjab Archeology, who is part of the team, said that his team will supervise the excavation process, but a private company will be hired to do the excavation. Companies that have experts for excavations at historical sites will be contracted.
According to reports, tenders will be issued by Commissioner Bahawalpur in the next few days for awarding contracts to private companies doing excavation work. Excavation can be started only after the contract process is completed.
An 8-member team of archaeologists has been formed on the instructions of the Chief Minister of Punjab, headed by archaeologist and former director general archeology Dr Muhammad Rafiq Mughal, while the team includes former director archeology Salim ul Haq, former director archeology Muhammad Afzal Khan, former director archeology Maqsood Ahmed, current director archeology Muhammad Hassan. Including others.
It should be noted that the remains of Gunveerwala were traced in 1975 by Dr. Muhammad Rafiq Mughal, former Director General of Punjab Archaeology. Excavation has not been done here till date. This is mainly due to lack of resources, non-availability of water and manpower near the site.
Experts believe that Gunveriwala was the third largest city in the Indus Valley after Harappa and Mohenjo-daro. These mounds are located about 60 km southwest of the Dravidian fort. This place is located between Mohenjodaro and Harappa. It is 340 km from Mohenjodaro and 260 km from Harappa.
According to experts, this area was settled on the banks of the Hakra River and the residents of this city used to farm and rear cattle, but now only the ruins of the city and the traces of the Hakra River can be seen here. There are about 500 sites in the Cholistan desert, the most important of which is Gunveriwala.
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