Gor Kathri Excavations Reveal Peshawar Oldest Living City Of South Asia With 2400 Years Documented History

The excavations of Gor Kathri-an archeological site, revealed that Peshawar was the oldest living city of South Asia with a documented history of nearly 2400 years old existed on earth

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Aug, 2024) The excavations of Gor Kathri-an archeological site, revealed that Peshawar was the oldest living city of South Asia with a documented history of nearly 2400 years old existed on earth.

Located in the heart of Peshawar City, the excavations conducted by renowned Pakistani archeologists Professor FA Durrani and Professor Dr Ihsan Ali disclosed that Peshawar carried documented history of about 2400 years which means that it is the most ancient living city of South Asia with its history goes back to 539BC.

Bakhtzada Khan, senior research officer, Archology Department told APP on Wednesday that four excavations conducted at different times at Gor Kathri-a square-shaped compound, having a rich and diverse history of subjugation during various historic eras, have unveiled many facts on civilizations' culture and traditions of Peshawar.

With a literary meaning as "Warriors Grave", Gor Kathri was first discovered by Alexander Cunnigham with Kanishka stupa and later by Professor Dr. Ahmed Hassan identified as the place where once the famous tower bowl of Lord Buddha, stood.

The excavations revealed about ancient architectural designs, food and languages of the ten oldest civilizations that had grown in Peshawar.

He said the excavations continued for several years and published in British Journal ‘Current World Archaeology’ titled `The deepest and biggest excavations in the world, revealing about 20 layers that provide a complete profile of the Peshawar ranging from British down to pre-Indo-Greek era.

Peshawar also remained a province of Persian Alchamenian Empire in four to six century BC and later came under the influence of Mauryans, Greeks, Scythians, Kushans, Sasanians, White Huns, Ghaznavis, Slave Dynasty, Ghoris, Suri Afghans, Mughals, Durrani, Sikhs and the British before creation of Pakistan.

Conquered by Greeks and ruled by Buddhists, Peshawar witnessed rebuilding by Brahmins, invaded by Ghaznavis, captured by Mughals, over run by Sikhs and annexed by British in succession.

Different religions including Buddhism, Hindusim, Sikhism and Christianity had gained roots for many years in Peshawar before Islam, said Bakhtzada Khan.

He said the discovery of human remains in Soan Valley in Pakistani Punjab as evidence of the stones and bones’ tools dating from around (2 million to 90,000 years before present) of the Early Paleolithic period.

“Sangaro cave’s excavations at Mian Khan in Mardan conducted by Ahmad Hasan Dhani and Farid Khan in 1963 revealed the presence of people’s remains in the middle Paleolithic period (9,000 to 27,000 years before present) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.”

These people were living in stones-made caves, who fulfilled their foods mostly from hunting of birds and animals. The discoveries of primitive rocks, bones and hunting tools dating back of Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age (10,000 to 8,600 years before present) during excavations at Khanpur in Haripur district and Sangaro Cave signified presence of humans’ life in Swat and Dir.

It was also found that people started making clay and stones made pots, crockery and others related utensils for kitchen during the Neolithic period or commonly known as new stone-age dating back some 8,000 years before as evident from excavations of historic Mehar Gharh in Balochistan of the Indus Civilization, Rehman Dheri DI Khan and Sheri Khan Tarkai Swabi.

The evidence had magnified that people were living in the stone and mud houses in those primordial eras. He said the graves of Aryans invaders were also discovered at Aligram Swat, Sangota Chitral and Timergara Dir Lower dating back of the Dark Ages period of around 2,000 BC.