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                Gankorini-o-Tek Excavations, Singoor Chitral, 2008 - letter

The Department of Cultural Heritage and Tourism Management, Hazara University, Mansehra is currently conducting excavations at the Gandhara Grave Culture site of Gankorini-o-Take in District Chitral under the direction of (Dr.) Ihsan Ali, Professor of Archaeology and currently Vice Chancellor Hazara University, Mansehra.
The site of Gankorini-o-Take is located about 8 km north of the Chitral Town, 210.7 km north of Peshawar, 268.4 km northwest of Islamabad, 283.4 km north east of Kabul and 339.8 km northwest of Samarqand, at a height of 1270 meters above the mean sea level.

Dr. Israr-ud-Din and Mr. Inamullah Jan were the first to report the presence of a Gandhara Grave Culture site at Singoor in 1972. In fact, they excavated a single double storied grave at the site. They reported nine earthen pots and a terracotta human figurine and had published a brief report about the excavations in 1979. Dr. Abdur Rahman and Mr. Shakirullah also reported the site in 1997 and it said that they also excavated a grave here, but the report is not published. In 1999, a joint expedition of the University of Peshawar, Pakistan and Bradford, United Kingdom, conducted a brief survey, under the Hindu Kush Expedition organized by the Universities of Peshawar, Pakistan and Glasgow, United Kingdom under the direction of Professor Dr. Ihsan Ali. The team recorded 15 sites of the Gandhara Grave Culture in the area, including Singoor.

The Directorate of Archaeology and Museums Govt. of Pakistan excavated Gandhara Grave Culture Sites from 2003-06 at Parwak and Singoor villages. The excavations were conducted under the direction of Prof. (Dr.) Ihsan Ali, Director, Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Govt. of NWFP, Peshawar.

Dr. Ihsan Ali and his team reported the site Gankorini-o-Take in 2005 and a trail trench was opened at the site in July 2007 by a joint team of archaeologist from Hazara University, Mansehra and Leicester University, UK under the direction of Prof. (Dr.) Ihsan Ali, Vice Chancellor Hazara University, Mansehra. Two graves were reported during the excavations that contained burials with grave goods.

The 1st proper excavations at the Site conducted by the Department of Cultural Heritage and Tourism Management, [CHTM] Hazara University, Mansehra from November 26, 2007 to January 21, 2008 and the 2nd season started from June 17, 2008 that is still in progress, by the Department of CHTM. The present excavations are aimed to establish the cultural history of Chitral, to shed light on the Indo-Aryans Culture in the area and its relationship to other known sites, to trace the origin of the Kalasha people of Chitral and to collect materials for the Hazara University Museums. In fact, these excavations are the continuation of researches that the Department has initiated for the last two years.

Forty graves of the Indo-Aryans were either completely or partially opened during the 1st season while in the 2nd season 25 graves so far have been opened. The graves oriented east west and north-south and facing east, north, northeast and northwest and were accompanied by grave goods except a few graves that contained child burials. While few of them were empty graves with no burial remain and grave goods. Jar burials have also been reported during the excavation. The study of the graves revealed, until now, two types of graves; single and multiple graves. The burials are in typical Gandhara Grave Culture style and deceased were either in the inhumation form or in crouched form with legs bent towards the chin. Cremation and fractional burial were also revealed during the excavations.

All the excavated graves were rich in terms of sepulchre’s goods and included ceramics, weapons, jewellery, agricultural tools and worked stone pieces. The ceramic category includes bowls, ewers, cooking pots and spouted goblets. Arrowheads constitute the most abundant variety of the weapon have been found, lying around the bodies of the deceased. The jewellery category includes Copper/Iron earrings, Pendants and finger rings and beads during the 1st season.


Dr. Ruth Young, Leicester University UK has recently dated, the burial remains from Parwak, Upper Chitral, Singoor and Gankorini-o- Take Singoor, Chitral through Corbin 14 (C14) dating technique. These graves are dated from 5th century BC to 10th Century AD and this was the first ever-scientific date given to the graves in Chitral. It can be said that the Aryans came to this place very late from Dir, Swat, Mohmand & Bajaur Agencies and Peshawar Plan where they arrived in 18th Centuries BC.

The excavations of the Aryans graves in Chitral are very important in understanding the cultural history and diversity of Chitral and are opening new vistas to the community of researchers interested in the history of Chitral and will go a long way in establishing the history of Chitral and origin of the Kalasha tribe.

Abdul Hameed
Field Director excavations / Lecturer in Archaeology
Hazara University Mansehra

21 Jul 08.