Buddhist Site's Archaeological Exploration Begins Next Month

Archaeological exploration at Mound Dillu Roy, a Buddhist era site in Dera Ghazi Khan district, is likely to begin next month for the first time ever in decades under an on-going Rs 17.323 million project.

MULTAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Dec, 2018 ) :Archaeological exploration at Mound Dillu Roy, a Buddhist era site in Dera Ghazi Khan district, is likely to begin next month for the first time ever in decades under an on-going Rs 17.323 million project.

The work has resumed to complete the remaining portion of the 6400 feet long boundary wall to protect the site, Incharge Archaeology department Multan Ghulam Muhammad told APP.

Around 5000 feet long boundary wall has already been built,he added.

Officials would acquire metal detector and other tools to be used by the archaeologists to select points for exploration to discover antiquities and traces of ancient civilization.

The site is located exactly on the border line of Rajanpur and Dera Ghazi Khan districts. Major part of around 480 Kanal site falls in district Dera Ghazi Khan and only three Kanals in tehsil Jampur of district Rajanpur.

Ghulam Muhammad said the site was notified as protected in Feb 1964. Study carried out on the site and the ancient objects recovered so far revealed it was occupied by the Buddhists in the Scytho-Parthian period dating back to the Ist century B.C. to 2nd century A.C.

It lies 2.5 miles north west of tahsil Jampur and consists of two mounds, roughly 100-150 feet apart.

The larger one measuring 1460x800x15 feet marks the site of the city and the smaller one about 380 feet North-South, 950 feet East-West has been identified as the remains of a fort.

Both the mounds have been dug by the local farmers which exposed the historic plan of houses and streets. The mud brick walls have escaped complete destruction. Some of the walls with traces of mud plaster stand as high as 12 feet. At certain places, complete plan of rooms is traceable which varies from 5x5 feet to 15-10 feet. The study of the deep trenches dug by farmers has revealed two building period of the city.

The specimen of bottle-necked sprinklers with curved flange and conical knob at the top are quite similar in all respects to the types recovered from the Scytho-Parthian levels of Banbhore, Taxila and Pitalkora (India) and they may be dated to Ist century B.C. to 2nd century A.C.

A fragment of a plaque of red sand depicting a lady with high head dress and wearing ear-rings and a sculpture in white lime stone appears to be of a `Buddhisattva' wearing `Dhoti' and holding a `kamandali', said the official.

All the articles/antiquities found from Mound Dillu Roy have been kept at the store of Harappa museum.