Pakistani Researcher Sheds Light on Newly Discovered Artifacts at Mohenjo-Daro

The incessant rains of August 2022 wreaked havoc on the ancient ruins of Mohenjo-Daro, a priceless treasure that holds the title of the world's oldest civilisation.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site suffered extensive structural damage as a result.

The structures at the Mohenjodaro site were severely affected by the rains, resulting in collapsed walls, holes and erosion of slopes.

While excavating the collapsed wall, the archaeologists and their team of workers made an extraordinary discovery: a pot filled to the brim with valuable ancient copper coins from the ancient city.

This led to a massive excavation and conservation effort around the stupa, led by the Directorate of Archaeology, Government of Sindh and UNESCO experts.

Pakistan-based researcher and guide at the Mohenjodaro Archaeological Site and Museum, Sheikh Javed Ali Sindhi, shares his insights into the ancient discoveries and more.

According to my research, these coins belong to the Kushan period (1st to 3rd century AD) and were issued by Buddhist kings of the Kushan period, namely Kadaphises, Kanishka I, Huvishka and Vasudeva I, from the 2nd to 5th century AD.

The haul consists of round copper pieces, thinner in shape. On their backs were Siva, a bull, a thorn goddess, a nimble figure, a trident, the cross, a series of pellets and fire altars.

Previously, a large number of copper coins belonging to King Vasudeva I had been found in the Buddhist monastery at Mohenjodaro. But it seems that this recently unearthed (November 2023) hoard of coins was deposited in the monks' cells during the reign of King Kanishka II, who ruled from 230 to 247 AD.

His coins depict Kanishka II standing with a trident above him and a fire altar on the obverse. The reverse shows Ardochsho seated on a throne.

Trade and commerce were at its peak during the Kushan Kings of India and these copper coins, called drachmas, were minted until 230 AD for internal trade and economic activities. Gold coins were used for international trade.

After the heavy monsoon rains of August 2022, we found several artifacts such as a bronze Buddha pendant, a human-headed vessel and some burnt brick structures.

The burnt brick structures were thought to be similar to citadel watchtowers excavated by Sir Mortimer Wheeler in the 1950s to the south-east of Stupa Hill. The bricks date from the Harrapan period (2600-1900 BC).

During the excavation, we also found pieces of terracotta bracelets, potsherds, pieces of touchstones, shells, cones, trefoils in shells, balls, bones and other antiquities. Other important discoveries besides the watchtowers are the passage and the floor.

The discovery of a hoard of copper coins will shed new light on Buddhism in Sindh.

Moreover, the discovery of watchtowers in the citadel area clarifies our ideas about fortification walls and their defensive system. We can easily understand the technology of warfare and weaponry in the 3rd millennium BC.

Previously it was thought that the people of the Indus Valley civilisation were peaceful traders and merchants, but there is no evidence of mass weapons of war. But the discovery of these watchtowers at Mohenjodaro has shed new light on fortification.

I want to explore the Indus sites in the neighbouring districts of Sindh, including the border with Balochistan, because these areas are considered hidden from the outside world.

We need to work on the Indus script, which has not been deciphered or fully decoded, and also explore bilingual texts for deciphering the Indus script.

We should take help from Sumerian cuneiform tablets to decipher the Meluhhan language spoken within the Indus Valley civilisation. We must encourage young scholars to study the Indus Valley civilisation.