Rehman Dheri

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Rehman Dheri is an archaeological dig site in what is now Pakistan . The place flourished especially before the emergence of the Indus culture and provides important information about the emergence of this high culture. It is one of the oldest urban centers in South Asia. The archaeological site is located about 20 km from the modern city of Dera Ismail Khan and measures approximately 500 × 325 m. First excavations took place from 1976 to 1981 by the University of Peshawar . Further excavations have taken place since 1991.

Only small areas of the city have been excavated so far, but there are indications that the site has had a regular checkerboard map from the start. The plan has hardly been modified over time and has been retained for centuries. During the excavations, various phases in the urban development from around 3340 to 1900 BC. Be established. The first phase dates from around 3340 to 2850 BC. It is characterized by painted pottery produced on the potter's wheel, which has many similarities with pottery from the Indo-Iranian border region. Also noteworthy is an unlabeled seal. The second settlement phase dates from around 2850 to 2500 BC. The pottery bears many similarities to the one found in Kot Diji and known from other places as well. The place seems to have been integrated into a larger unit. In this phase there are also many pottery marks on the ceramics. These characters are often seen as the forerunners of the Indus script . The third phase coincides with the Indus culture and dates from 2500 to 1900 BC. The place was now a flourishing urban center. The ceramics are still in the Kot Dijian tradition, which in turn shows that there were obviously regional variants within the otherwise quite uniform appearing Indus cult.

The finds in the city include numerous terracotta figures, as they are typical for other places in the region. These included numerous human figures and numerous depicting animals, especially cattle.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ FA Durran, Ishan Ali and G. Erdosy: New Perspectives on Indus Urbanism from Rehman Dheri , in: East and West , 46 No. 1/4 (December 1995), pp. 81-96
  2. ↑ Durrani, Ali and Erdosy, in: East and West , 46 No. 1/4 (December 1995), p. 83.
  3. ↑ Durrani, Ali and Erdosy, in: East and West , 46 No. 1/4 (December 1995), p. 83.
  4. ↑ K. Flavin, Ihsan Ali and G. Endsoy: Excavations in the Gomal Vallet (Regman Dehri Report No. 2), The Terracotta Human Figurines , in Ancient Pakistan 10 (1994-1995), pp. 82-133
  5. ↑ I. Ali and G. Endsoy: Excavations in the Gomul Vallet (Regman Dehri Report No. 2), The Animal Human Figurines , in Ancient Pakistan 10 (1994-1995), pp 134-163

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Coordinates: 31 ° 50 ′ 0 ″  N , 71 ° 54 ′ 0 ″  E