Beas Landscape and Settlement Survey

Beas Landscape and Settlement Survey


Aerial Map of Vainiwal Site 2015


Between 1992 and 1996 the Punjab Archaeological Survey (PAS), under the direction of the Government of Pakistan, Department of Archaeology, conducted a large-scale survey in order to identify all ancient settlements in the Punjab. Surface surveys at a small number of the settlements identified diagnostic artifacts that were contemporary with the Indus civilization. In 1995 Rita Wright visited several of the Indus sites with Dr. Rafique Mughal, then Director General of Archaeology and Museums, in order to assess the feasibility of developing a more intensive program of research than had been undertaken by the PAS. This early visit and subsequent short field seasons that began in 1996 confirmed that the newly discovered settlements offered an opportunity to utilize the results of the PAS as baseline data for more intensive investigations and a closer documentation of the cultural and natural stratigraphy of the Beas settlements.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to the Beas Research 9. The Mapping Projects and Systemic Collections at Lohoma Lal Tibba
2. Research Methods 10. Test Trenches and Radiocarbon Determinations
3. General Settings 11. Radiocarbon Determinations and the Beas Drainage
4. The Site of Vainiwal 12. Insights from Remote Sensing
5. Sampling and Recording of Surface Materials 13. Possible Future Directions
6. Test Trench and Chronology 14. Contributions of the Research
7. The Site of Chak 90-12L 15. Bibliography
8. The Sites of Lohoma Lal Tibba and Chak Purbane Syal 16. Acknowledgments