World Bank Document

f Public Disclosure Authorized REPORT ON GHAZI-GARIALA HYDROPOWER PROJECT ARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDIES Public Disclosure Authorized BY M.A.HALIM AND GULZARM. KHAN Public Disclosure Authorized DEPARTMENT OF ARCHAEOLOGY AND MUSEUMS GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN Public Disclosure Authorized REPORT ON GHAZI-GARIALA HYDROPOWER PROJECT ARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDIES BY M.A. HALIM AND GULZAR M. KHAN DEPARTMENT OF ARCHAEOLOGY AND MUSEUMS GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN GRAZI-GARIALA HYDROPOWER PROJECT ARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDIES TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1. INTRODUCTION 1 2. LOCATION OF THE PROJECT AREA 2 3. PHYSICAL FEATURES AND ENVIRONMENTS 2 4. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE 3 5. KNOWN SITES IN THE PROJECT AREA 3 5.1 General 3 5.2 Palaeolithic Tool Sites 4 5.3 Petroglyphs 4 5.4 Buddhist Sites 4 5.5 Muslim Monuments 5 6. NEW DISCOVERIES 5 6.1 General 5 6.2 Palaeolithic Artefact (Cleaver) 5 6.3 Petroglyphs 6 6.4 Hasanpur 6 6.5 Musa II 7 6.6 Pindanwala Tibba 7 6.7 Musa I 8 6.8 Musa III 8 6.9 Patri near Dakhner 9 7. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 9 7.1 Conclusions 9 7.2 Recommendations 9 REFERENCES (i) LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Plates Description I Pool Area on River Indus II A Confluence of Indus and Haro Rivers II B Rock Outcrops at Kamra III Rock Outcrops at Dakhner IV Arid Area between Rumian and Dakhner V Fertile Plain of Chhachh VI Soft Sandy Area west of Kamra Village VII Palaeolithic Quartzite Tool VIII Erratic Boulders at Barotha IX A Erratic Boulder at Gariala IX B Erratic Boulder in the Bed near Indus-Haro Confluence X Erratic Boulder with Petroglyph at Gariala XI Details of Petroglyphic Figures on the Boulder at Gariala XII Work of Idle Grazers on Rocks near Khadi Baba XIII A Hasanpur. Ancient Mound XIII B Hasanpur. Remains of Pebble Wall XIV A Hasanpur. Remains of Disturbed Walls XIV B&C Hasanpur. Pottery Wares XV A Musa II. Ancient Mound XV B Musa II. Top Surface showing Modern Graves XVI A Musa II. Pottery Wares XVI B Pindanwala Tibba. General View of Ancient Mound XVII A Pindanwala Tibba. Showing eroded sections XVII B Pindanwala Tibba. Showing Heavy Concentration of Cultural Material XVIII Pindanwala Tibba. Ceramic Collection from Surface XIX A Musa I. General View of Ancient Mound XIX B Musa I. Showing Disturbed Portion of the Mound XX A Musa I. Fragments of Stucco Sculptures XX B Musa I. Pottery Wares (ii) Plates Description XXI A Musa III. General View of Buddhist Stupa Site XXI B Musa III. Fragments of Schist Stone Sculptures XII A Musa III. Fragments of Stucco Sculptures XII B Patri. Dakhner Hills on Indus occupying Remains of Buddhist & British Period XXIII A Darwazai. Village opposite Patri on Right Bank of Indus XXIII B Patri. Remains of a Buddhist Monastery XXIV A Patri. Monastery Wall in Semi-Ashlar Masonry XXIV B Patri. Remains of British Period Watch Tower XXV Patri. Remains of British Period Watch Tower Drawing 1 Base Map of Ghazi-Gariala Hydropower Project (iii) ACKNiOWLEDGEMENT It has been a matter of great privilege for our association with the Project of National importance. We are greatly indebted to Dr. Ahmad Nabi Khan, Director General of Archaeology & Museums, Government of Pakistan for providing this opportunity. We express our gratitude to Mr. Naquib A. Farooqui, Senior Geologist and Manager Field Operation, PHC for making meticulous logistic arrangements during our field work. Our grateful thanks are also due to Mr. Tehseen, who accompanied us for the familiarization of the Project area. We cannot forget Mr. Ijaz Ahmad, Surveyor, PHC, a youngman with lot of zeal and enthusiasm who worked with us untiringly during the explorations. We may take this opportunity to thank Mr. Nazir Ahmad, the Driver of the field vehicle, who daringly drove us through the difficult terrains. In the last we will be failing in our duty if we do not record the services of Mr. Muhammad Iqbal, who was responsible for typing this report from the draft to final stage. M.A.H. & G.M.K (iv) Authors affiliations. M.A. Halim Deputy Director Sub Regional Office Department of Archaeology Taxila Gulzar M. Khan Curator Lahore Fort Museum Lahore GHAZI-GARIALA HYDROPOWER PROJECT ARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDIES 1. INTRODUCTION Ghazi-Gariala Hydropower Project (Project) is a joint venture of Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) and World Bank. The proposed Project is of great national importance because after its completion it would help in coping with the ever-increasing energy and power requirements of a developing country like Pakistan. The primary objective is to generate approximately 1200 mega watts power by channelizing water from the Indus. It is, however, a multipurpose project to boost social conditions and improve economic structure of the peoples by giving fillip to the industrial development of Pakistan, thereby solving problem of unemployment in the region, to a greater extent. The Project envisages construction of a barrage on the Indus river to create a water pool and reservoir about 6 kilometer down-stream of Tarbela Dam and just above Ghazi village in Haripur Tehsil of North Western Frontier Province (NWFP) (P1.I). From the left bank of the pool, about sixty thousand cusecs of water would be carried through 53 kilometer long power channel running 1100 feet above mean sea level. The proposed power channel will run through Haripur Tehsil and Attock down to village Barotha (Drawing 1). Near village Barotha, a Power Complex has been designed by utilizing a natural fall of about 200 feet necessary for the power generation, where sufficient space for tail race is also available before the water rejoins the river Indus about 4 kilometer north of the confluence of river Indus and Haro (P1.II). The WAPDA and World Bank appointed Pakistan Hydro Consultants (PHC) to examine feasibility, design study and economic viability of the Project. But equally important aspect of the assignment of the PHC was to undertake environmental study and make assessment of the area covered by the Project, with a view to document and map archaeological and cultural wealth likely to be affected or completely obliterated after its commissioning. It is in this background that on the request of the PHC, the Department of Archaeology and Museums (DAP) undertook archaeological survey and exploratory scanning of the area within the proposed area covered by the pool, power complex and to the extent of 500 metres along both the banks of the Power Channel. Before the commencement of the archaeological explorations, familiarization trips were undertaken within the pool area and along the alignment of the Power Channel from village Ghazi to Barotha. It was necessary to have a clear picture of the area to be subjected to the archaeological scanning which helped precisely in determining the targets and quickening the pace of work. 1 Regular survey of the Project area was started on 10th January, 1991 and was completed on 26th January, 1991. During the course of the survey, the area in question was thoroughly explored, and a few archaeological cultural mounds representing Buddhist stupas and settlement sites were recorded. Here it may be emphasized that the Project area is a part of Gandhara region, welknown for richness of the Buddhist monasteries, stupas and settlements. 2. LOCATION OF THE PROJECT AREA The Project area is partly located in the south western corner of Haripur Tehsil of NWFP and almost in the centre of Attock Tehsil of district Attock in the Punjab (Drawing 1). On the north, the area in question is bounded by Tarbela Dam in Hazara Hills while river Indus runs all along its western and southern boundary line. On the east, area is cordoned by the Gandgarh hills running down almost due south for almost half of the length gradually dying out near Lawrencepur. Further east, the area is bounded by river Haro which runs deep below the general topographical surface level before it joins Indus below village Gariala. 3. PHYSICAL FEATURES AND ENVIRONMENT Interesting variations in physical and topographical features within the Project area were observed. Mostly, the Project area is plain containing sandy silt and loessic deposits of considerable thickness. The area from Tarbela to Isa and south of Dakhner is marked by the presence of gravel conglomerates, while rock out-crops are present at Kamra (Pl.IIB) and from Rumian to Dakhner (P1.III & IV). Numerous hill torrents from Gandgarh hills have almost eroded the loessic deposits and formed deep gullies and undulating surface rendering it unfit for agricultural activities and thus inhospitable for human settlements. It is only near the Indus bank that solid ground with annual silting is available for agricultural pursuits in the area generally known as Chhachh plains (Pl.V). Even today, almost all the modern villages are located in the western half of the Project area upto Kamra hills (Drawing 1 and Pl.V). The area on the east of the proposed Power Channel is almost built up of non-metamorphic soft sedimentary rocks eroded from Gandgarh hills due to weatheric changes and rain action. This heavy erosion have rendered the land unsuitable for any kind of agricultural activity especially during ancient period of history, although with the introduction of modern machinery it has become somewhat possible now, to make certain areas cultivable. The area beyond Kamra to Barotha contains soft sandy silt and is thus unfit for agricultural activities (Pl.IV and VI). Solid land is available only between Dher and Gariala. 2 Here it may be pointed out that generally the Project area does not possess hospitable topographical and physiographical features suitable for any settlement of considerable size. The entire area except the Chhachh plain and plateau of Gandgarh hills with alluvial deposits, is practically without any ancient settlement.

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