Journal of Asian Civilizations

Lithic Industry from Barikot: Trenches BKG 11 and 121*

Filippo Maria Valente — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The archaeological site of Bir-kot-ghwaṇḍai on the Swat River, near the present settlement of Barikot in the Pakistan province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, is a major excavation project led by the Italian Archaeological Mission since 1978. This study presents a collection of lithic tools from trenches BKG 11 and 12 (2011-2020), focusing on their adaptation to locally available lithic resources. The analysis highlights strategic tool usage and tries to discuss the ‘archaic’ technological traits in lithic production, contextualizing these findings within the broader and somehow still fuzzy picture of the early regional lithic industries.

Proto-Historic Engraved Seal Pendants from Gandi Umar Khan, Gomal Plain, Northern Pakistan: A typological cross-comparative study

Ayesha Hina — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The seal pendants from the Proto-Historic site of Gandi Umar Khan, which date from the early Bronze Age (3400-2900 BC) to the mature Harappan Phase (2600 1900 BC), are thoroughly examined in this study. Through a typological cross comparative analysis, this paper explores the significance of early Indus-type engraved seal pendants discovered at the site. The early Indus-type seal pendants discovered in Gandi Umar Khan are critical for understanding the evolution of sealing practices and their administrative, social, and cultural implications for the region’s rising early elite and human populations. The study reveals that the development of protohistoric centers in Pakistan, particularly the Gandi Umar Khan site in the Gomal Valley, was largely influenced by the emergence of technologically advanced inhabitants. The presence of intricately carved Indus style seals suggests a sophisticated socio-economic structure and ethnic identity system that supported trade, symbolism, and communication networks in the region. This research contributes to the broader discourse on the material culture of the Indus Valley Civilization while proposing new interpretative frameworks for assessing seal-based iconography across early urban centers of South Asia.

Rāmāñṛai Buddhist Complex at District Buner, Pakistan: Architectural and Hydrological Innovations in Gandhāran Buddhist Complexes

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Rāmāñṛai Buddhist Complex represents one of the most significant and large Buddhist archaeological sites in the Gandhāran region. The site offers exceptional insights into the architectural, hydrological, and cultural sophistication of ancient Buddhist settlements. Recent surveys have revealed a multi-period occupation at Rāmāñṛai, with remains ranging from the prehistoric era to the Buddhist period. The complex features a devastated monumental stūpa and a circular structure atop a shared platform, numerous small stūpas, chapels, monastic complexes, rock-shelters, underground chambers, and a corbelled double-storey building. One of the most striking features of Rāmāñṛai is its advanced water management system, which includes spring-fed channels and erosion control embankments, which highlights a high degree of environmental awareness and engineering expertise. The site also contained pre-Buddhist rock art, suggesting earlier ritual or domestic use of the area prior to its Buddhist occupation. Architectural parallels with sites like Takhthhāi and Kushan-era monuments in the Swat Valley suggest royal patronage and cultural continuity within the region. Despite ongoing threats from environmental degradation and encroachment, the Rāmāñṛai Complex remains a critical testament to the religious, technological, and artistic achievements of ancient Gandhāran civilization.

Preliminary Report of the 2024 Excavation in front of Caves 35-41 in Kizil (Xinjiang, China)1*

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The 2024 excavation by the Kizil Grottoes Research Institute and the School of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University, in front of Caves 35-41 at the Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves (Xinjiang, China) uncovered 19 features— including two rock-cut stairways, three small caves, one man-made stone structure—and recovered 394 artifacts such as ceramics, gypsum, copper coins, and glass beads. Stratigraphic analysis, combined with architectural study and radiocarbon dating, defined four main phases from the 3rd to the 8th centuries CE, followed by abandonment during the medieval period. The results clarify how the cliff face was cut, modified, and ultimately abandoned, refining the chronology and spatial organization of this sector. This work provides a key reference for Kizil’s development and underscores the potential for further excavation of other cave areas and associated ground-level monastic structures.

The Role of Jibin Monks in the Transmission of Scriptures and Medical Knowledge to China1*

Li Xiguang, Liu Yinghua, Liu Yixia — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study examines the historical transmission of medical knowledge between China and ancient Pakistan (Gandhara/Jibin region) via Buddhist monk intermediaries from the 4th to 9th centuries CE. Drawing on Chinese Buddhist texts, travelogues, and translated medical treatises, it identifies Jibin and Gandhara as a critical hub for cross-cultural exchange. Key findings include: (1) Over 15 documented Jibin monks (e.g., Saṅghabhadra, Buddhayaśas) translated Buddhist scriptures containing medical knowledge into Chinese during the Jin, North-South Dynasties, and Tang periods; (2) Medical centers like Taxila (Pakistan) trained physicians such as Jīvaka, with records indicating Chinese patients sought treatment there; (3) Ayurvedic texts like the Caraka Saṃhitā and Astāṅga Hṛdaya Saṃhitā (attributed to ancient Pakistani scholars Charaka and Vāgbhaṭa) entered China through Xinjiang and Tibet, evidenced by manuscripts like the Bower Manuscript (Kucha, Xinjiang) and Tibetan medical thangkas. The paper argues that pre-modern Sino-Pakistani medical exchange was facilitated by Buddhist networks, revealing a trans-Eurasian continuum of knowledge transfer often overlooked in historiography.

Review: Nadeem Omar Tarar (2022) The Colonial and National Formations of the National College of Arts, Lahore, circa 1870s to 1960s: De-scripting the Archive. Anthem Press, New York-London.

Luca Maria Olivieri — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

From my point of view, a great book is the result of a simple recipe: a great story, happy writing, a brilliant mind that can see what we readers would not have been able to see. The human capacity behind this book – a great book, which every scholar of Pakistani studies should have on his/her bookshelf – was a Professor of Communication and Cultural Studies at the National College of Arts (NCA) in Lahore, currently affiliated with the Department of Anthropology at the University of Texas at Austin, USA. One of his specialisations is the history and development of the print culture of South Asia.

Review: Harald Hauptmann (2024) Lords of the Mountains, Pre-Islamic Heritage along the Upper Indus in Pakistan, (ed.) Luca Maria Olivieri. Heidelberg University Publishing.

Mueezuddin Hakal — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This monograph on the history and archaeology of the mountain areas towards the Western Himalayas and beyond, known as Gilgit-Baltistan or formerly ‘Northern Areas of Pakistan’, opens with reference to ‘iha uttarāpatha’ meaning ‘here the upper (northern) path’ (p. 7). It is one of the books of advanced academic value because of its discussions and interpretations on the complex archaeological data. Throughout the book, the debate on the efforts of earlier contributions, and critical analysis based on the field experience and personal observations of Hauptmann are noticeable, providing theoretical results. Therefore, this effort concludes the extensive field activities of the Author in the mountain area of Gilgit-Baltistan, from 1989 until his demise in 2018, continuing the tradition of Karl Jettmar (1918 2002) and Ahmad Hasan Dani (1920-2009).

Contributions of Dr. Saifur Rahman Dar Published in Journal of Asian Civilizations (JAC)

Mueezuddin Hakal — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Dr. Saifur Rahman Dar (1939-2024) was one of the few eminent scholars of archaeology in Pakistan, who devoted entire life to the studies of archaeology and museology. He was born in Gujranwala, and studied at the University of Punjab. At this University, at the age 22, he completed his Master Degree of Arts in History during 1961. In the same year, he joined the Department of Archaeology and Museums. He continued his studies and completed PhD in 1973 from the University of Salonica (Greece) at the age of 34. After returning from Greece, he joined the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Pakistan, at first in Peshawar, then in Karachi where he also served at the National Museum of Pakistan (1973-74). Afterwards, in August 1974 he joined Lahore Museum as the Director; therefore, he served this Museum for 24 years till his retirement in 1998.