The Distribution and Contextualization of Protohistoric and Historic Cemeteries around Singoor Village, Chitral, Pakistan

Abstract

The present paper contextualizes the results of the intensive archaeological survey around the Singoor village in District Chitral, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. The survey was optimized to specifically identify protohistoric graves through walking across the landscape in the vicinity of Shah Mirandeh graves at Singoor. The survey documented eleven burial sites, including the sites of Gankoreneotek, Gankoreni village, Hindukush Heights Hotel, Chakasht 1 & 2, Mirandeh, Noghur Dhok, Lashino Dhok, Kolambi and
Sinjal Graves. Later, the site of Dolamuch was discovered in a subsequent survey carried out in 2008 during the excavations of Gankoreneotek graves. Thus, a total of twelve protohistoric cemeteries, including Shah Mirandeh graves, were documented around Singoor. Of these, three graves’ sites Shah Mirandeh, Gankoreneotek and Chakasht 2 have been excavated. The present systematic
survey was successful as it resulted in the documentation of one of the densest clusters of protohistoric/historic cemeteries in northern and northwestern Pakistan. The radiocarbon dates obtained from cemeteries around Singoor suggest a date range from 8th century cal. BCE to 17th century cal. CE, indicating the existence and presence of viable historic burial traditions that were possibly
like the protohistoric burial traditions and shared the same landscape contexts.