Abstract
The archaeological and historical significance of the Gomal Valley of rhe North West Frontier
ince, Pakistan, is largely determined by location within rhe eastern fringe of the Indo-Iranian b0F
derlands. Lying between the right bank of the Indus River in rhe east, the mountain range of Mihrar
Sulaimanis in the west. the Mar,vat and Bilhani Hills in the north, and rhe plains of 'he Dera Ghazi
Khan region in rhe south. 'he Gomal Valley has, for many centuries, been an important passage way
between Central Asian. Iranian. and South Asian worlds. Recent explorations and excavations conducted
by 'he Department of Archaeology of rhe University of Peshawar and the Directorate of Archaeology
and Museums of rhe North West Frontier Province east Of Chaudwan and southwest of Dera Ismail
Khan have given a new impetus ro rhe archaeology of the Gonzal Plain. The Team Of Pakistani ar-
chaeologists discovered. recorded and surveyed a significant number of archaeological sites dating
from the Neolithic to rhe Hindu Shahi Period. Several Of these sites are particularly interesting as
their excavation is likely to shed new light on some of rhe key questions of South Asian protohistory
such as: 'he origins and spread of agriculture in the South Asian subcontinent; the nature and genesis
of the Harappan//ndus civilization; and rhe relation between Central Asian, Iranian and South Asian
worlds in the Bronze Age. This paper discusses the significance of recent discoveries in rhe Gomal
Valley in the Context Of the origin Of Asian civilization.
IHSAN ALI , PETER ELTSOV . (2009) The Archaeology of Gomal Valley, North West Frontier Province, Pakistan: New Hypotheses about the Earliest South Asian Civilization in the Light of Recent Discoveries , Pakistan Heritage, Volume 1, Issue 1.
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