HYDERABAD: German geo-architect, anthropologist and archaeologist Prof Michael Jansen, delivering a lecture at the Sindh University, stressed the need for massive exploration activity at Moenjodaro revealing that only 10 per cent of the ancient ruins had been discovered so far.

Prof Jansen discussed ‘The case study of Moenjodaro: the largest bronze-age city of the world’ at the Shaikh Ayaz auditorium of the Sindh University, Jamshoro.

He said that the Indus Valley civilisation bore striking resemblance with the Egyptian, Harappan and Mesopotamian civilisations; it rather excelled the other three in terms of water supply and water/sewage systems as Moenjodaro was the only city of its times to have wells.

“Moenjodaro was the most modern, well-planned, hygienic and developed city of its age. Moreover, recent findings also suggest the Indus Valley-Oman civilisation contact,” he said.

Prof Jansen observed that the Indus Valley civilisation also possessed similarities with Mesopotamian civilisation; both projected the seals bearing female figurines symbolising fertility and prosperity.

“I am convinced that understanding, conserving and further investigating Indus Valley civilisation is not only a national but an international concern; and that the need for establishment and functionality of International Centre for Indus Valley Integrated Studies (CIVIS) is fully justified,” he said.

Presiding over the programme, SU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Fateh Muhammad Burfat said Prof Jansen had first come to Sindh in 1970s and had stayed for several years at Moenjodaro site to conduct his research.

He stressed the need for connecting missing dots in the past, present and future of the Indus Valley civilisation. He said that CIVIS was being established to bridge those gaps through facilitating academic and research partnerships independently and with other relevant world stakeholders.

A proposal to functionalise CIVIS was formally signed among SU, the Research Centre Indian Ocean (Oman) and German Research Centre Moenjodaro at the VC’s office on Tuesday.

Earlier, SU Thatta campus focal person Prof Dr Sarfaraz Hussain Solangi welcomed guests. He also moderated the programme, which was attended by a large number of SU students and faculty.

Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2018