SWAT: The archaeologists and cultural activists were excited to know that a site of Swat was included in the top 10 list of the 2022 best archaeological discoveries announced by a renowned magazine.

The international magazine “Archaeology”, a publication of the Archaeological Institute of America, issued a list of the top 10 best archaeological discoveries including the Buddhist Apsidal temple at Bazira in Barikot tehsil.

The most ancient Buddhist Apsidal temple was discovered by archaeologists of Ca’ Foscari University and Italian Archaeological Mission in collaboration with the provincial department of archaeology and museums last year.

Other archeological discoveries, which were placed in the list, include the pharaoh Amenhotep I’s 21st Dynasty wooden coffin decorated with flowers in Cairo Egypt, the well-preserved collection of the 2,550 wooden artefacts in the capital city of Aztecs, Mexico, the 30,000-year-old stone sculpture known as the Venus of Willendorf on the banks of the Danube River in Austria, the world’s oldest silver and gold cubes in southern Russia dating around 3500 BC, the Neolithic hunting shrine in the deserts of south-eastern Jordan, the 250 BCE old Maya ritual calendar in the ancient city of San Bartolo, Guatemala, a tomb containing the remains of a man, who occupied a powerful position in the Wari Empire dating around 650-1000 AD in Huarmey, Peru, the Mesopotamian urban development in Lagash, Iraq and the wreckage of legendary explorer Ernest Shackleton’s ship Endurance nearly 10,000 feet underwater, at the bottom of the Weddell Sea off the coast of Antarctica, where it sank in November 1915.

Prof Luca M Olivieri, the director of the Italian Mission, who led the archaeologists who discovered the Apsidal temple in Bazira, said that he was happy and felt proud to hear the news.

“The excavations in Barikot have been going on for 40 years, with great commitment, against all obstacles. I remember, for example, that at the end of 2009, the Barikot site was listed by the same magazine as one of the 10 most endangered archaeological sites in the world due to militancy in the area,” he told Dawn, adding that Swat was then emerging from a tragic season.

Head of Italian mission feels proud to hear the news

However, Prof Luca said that the commitment of the Italian Archaeological Mission through the ACT-Field School project changed things, with continuous excavation and restoration activities every year.

“We have to thank the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, archaeologists, the workers in Barikot, the two Italian and Pakistani embassies and their consulates, ISMEO, Ca’ Foscari University, and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for the support,” he said.

He said that 12 years later the same site gained the ranking with a very different perspective which was a real landmark. He also thanked the civil society of Swat and acknowledged the significant role the media played in keeping the issue of preserving the cultural heritage of Barikot alive.

“It is an encouraging point for the KP government and will keep its commitment high, which is carrying out a programme to acquire the entire archaeological area of Barikot,” said Prof Luca.

He said that the unique importance of the Barikot site, the Bazira of Alexander the Great, in the world must be understood at all levels, especially at the local level. He said that it must be protected and safeguarded for the present and future generations.

He said that Swat was finally being portrayed for its highest traditions of culture, hospitality and its central role in the history of the entire Eurasian continent. He hoped that the people of Swat and Barikot would be proud of the news.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2023