Section IV: Professional Expertise

(A) HERITAGE CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT
(B) ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELD RESEARCH PROJECTS
(International Collaboration and Participation)
(Archaeological Excavations)
(Archaeological Explorations)
(Currently in Progress)
(C) DEVELOPMENT OF MUSEUMS

(A) HERITAGE CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT (30 projects)

As Director of Archaeology for ten years, provided an essential overall direction, technical support and supervision for restoration and conservation of more than thirty monuments and excavated remains of the Islamic, Buddhist and Proto-historic periods, located in the Punjab and Frontier Provinces and Northern Areas of Pakistan. The monuments included:

  • Buddhist monasteries, stupas and city remains in the Swat and Taxila Valleys;
  • Structural remains of the Indus Civilization at Harappa;
  • Islamic buildings of 16th and 17th centuries AD namely, Lahore Fort and Shalamar Garden (both on UNESCO's World Heritage List);
  • Baradari (garden pavilion) of Wazir Khan;
  • Tombs of emperor Jahangir, Ali Mardan Khan, Prince Pervez, Mir Chakar Rind;
  • Nandana Fort;
  • Hiran Minar and Pavilion;
  • Mosques of Mariyam Zamani; Dai Anga and Akbari Sarai; and
  • Baoli (stepped well) at Jandiala Sher Khan.
  • Supervised preparation of fifty major proposals for the conservation and restoration of architectural heritage of Pakistan and presented to the Government of Pakistan. More than FORTY were approved and funded.

(B) ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELD RESEARCH PROJECTS (40 Projects)

Planned, organized and directed archaeological field research projects of extensive surveys involving documentation of hundreds of sites and monuments and excavations in Pakistan and abroad on sites of diverse cultural contents ranging in date from the Prehistoric to Islamic periods. In all, forty major explorations and excavations projects were carried out in Pakistan and foreign countries independently and in collaboration with national and international teams.

International Collaboration and Participation

  • 1990: Co-Investigator with Dr. H. Fujiwara from Japan for research on Rice at Harappa in archaeological contexts.
  • 1996: Collaboration with Rita P. Wright from the U.S.A. for a Joint Field Survey around the city of Harappa and beyond.
  • 1980-82: Joint Excavations at Sar and Buri, Bahrain with local and Australian teams.
  • 1966: Collaborative Survey of sites in the Malir River Basin, Lower Sindh with Dr. Walter A. Fairservis from the U.S.A.
  • 1960: Collaboration with Dr. George F. Dales from the U.S.A. in the survey along the Makran Coast of Baluchistan.
  • 1958: Participant in the excavations at Charsada headed by Sir Mortimer Wheeler from the United Kingdom.
    (Also listed below under different categories of sites)

Archaeological Excavations

On the Indus Civilization and Bronze Age sites
• Excavations at Jhukar, 1973 - 74;
• Malir Megaliths, 1975;
• Harappa, 1967 and 1992;
• Jalilpur, 1971 and 1976;
• Jhang, 1974;
• Sutkagen-dor, 1960;
• Sar al-Jisr (Bahrain), 1980-81 and 1981-82; and
• Buri and A'Ali (Bahrain), 1980-82.

On the Buddhist and Early Historical/ Medieval sites
• Lahore Fort, 1959;
• Aibek's Grave, 1960;
• Tulamba, 1963-64;
• Satgara, 1971;
• Charsada, 1958 (headed by Sir Mortimer Wheeler);
• Nimogram, 1967;
• Pan Dheri, 1967;
• Mainamati (Bangladesh), 1962-63; and
• Paharpur (Bangladesh), 1963.

On the Early Islamic sites
• Mansurah, 1965-66, (headed by Dr. F. A. Khan); 1967 and 1982-83;
• Banbhore, 1958, 1959-60 (headed by Dr.F.A. Khan), 1960-61, 1961-62, 1964 and 1965; and
• Bhiro Bham, 1964.

Archaeological Explorations
Conducted extensive surveys/ explorations in Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab, North-Western Frontier Provinces and Northern Areas of Pakistan which led to the discovery of hundreds of settlements of the Indus Civilization and of other cultural contents. The principal regions or areas are listed below:

Punjab Province
• Cholistan, 1974, 1975, 1976 and 1977;
• Multan and Faisalabad, 1967, 1971, 1973 and 1976;
• Sahiwal, 1966 and 1971;
• Dera Ghazi Khan, 1961;
• Lahore, 1990;

Sindh Province
• Jacobabad, 1961;
• Nawab Shah and Thatta, 1963;
• Malir River Basin, 1964 (headed by Walter A. Fairservis);
• Sukkur-Rohri, 1966 and 1983;
• Karachi and Thano Bula Khan, 1966;
• Sindh Kohistan, 1983;
• Nagar and Parkar, 1987;

N.W. Frontier Province & Northern Areas
• Swat and Dir, 1966;
• Gilgit and Hunza region, 1979;

Balochistan Province
• Northern and Central Balochistan, 1973;
• Makran Coast, 1960 (headed by George F.Dales);
• Las Bela, 1962;
• Kej Valley, Mekran, 1964.

• Project Director of two major schemes for "Survey and Documentation of Sites and Monuments in Sindh and Punjab" respectively during 1994-96 and 1993-96.

Currently in progress
• Co-investigator of Ethnoarchaeological Research in Chitral, northern Pakistan, 2003 – 2008.

(C) DEVELOPMENT OF MUSEUMS

Contributed to the development of museums in Pakistan. Major works:

  • A new Islamabad Museum was established in 1994.
  • Reorganized Swat Museum, Saidu Sharif in collaboration with Japanese museologists.
  • Prepared project proposals for establishment of Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology at Gilgit (1993); Museum at Rohtas Fort (1994); Ethnological and Archaeological Museum at Multan (1995) and for Expansion of Taxila Museum (1994).