Pakistan

The Swat Valley Archaeological Project has been conducting scientific analyses for more than three decades in northern Pakistan. They are engaged in systematic collection and standardized recording of archaeological data, allowing for a greater understanding of subsistence strategies, mobility patterns, and social interactions, both intra- and inter-regionally, through the mountain valleys of the southern Himalayan range. These archaeological data are helping to develop a deeper understanding of the cultural and environmental factors that influenced the lifeways of past populations. The excavations are directed by Luca Olivieri of the University of Venice, with additional projects being run by Elisa Lori of the University of Erfurt. The Italian Archaeological Mission in Pakistan (MAIP) has a deep legacy in the Swat Valley, tracing back to 1955, when Giuseppe Tucci established the research program. The current team, under Dr. Olivieri, has conducted excavations in the valley that span from the Bronze Age to the medieval periods, enabling them to gain a comprehensive understanding of the cultural dynamics over time in the valley.

Ongoing excavations at the Barikot site have facilitated collaborations with the Spengler Lab. The ancient village is historically noted as the town of Bazira, which was sacked by Alexander the Great in 326 BC. The town was situated on an ancient trade route that led through the Nawa and Karakar passes along the Swat River. In 2022, the Italian-run mission at the site unearthed what has been deemed the most ancient Buddhist Apsidal temple, winning a place among the top ten archaeological discoveries of 2022. Dr. Spengler and members of his team have been analyzing the material from Barikot since 2019. More recently, Dr. Dal Martello has taken the lead on the archaeobotanical analyses at the site. The site has proven to be a treasure trove of archaeobotanical data, with wonderful preservation and material spanning a wide breadth of time.

The Swat Valley is one of several valleys that cut into the broader Pamir and Himalayan ranges at an angle, creating a unique microenvironmental zone. Due to this localized ecology, humans have been drawn to these valleys for millennia, making them zones of intensive agricultural production in an otherwise rocky landscape. As a result, valleys such as Swat and Kashmir have served as a corridor of communication and exchange for at least five millennia, utilizing historically documented trade routes, including the Silk Road and the Tea-Horse Road. Research conducted by Dr. Spengler and his colleagues (Spengler et al., 2021a) has demonstrated that this mountain range facilitated the dispersal of crops and farming technology between Northeast and Southwest Asia approximately 5,000 to 1,000 years ago. These data have allowed members of the Spengler Lab to weigh in on debates over secondary dispersals of Hordeum (barley) and Triticum (wheat) into China and the routes of dispersal for the East Asian crops Oryza sativa (rice), Prunus persica (peach) and P. armeniaca (apricot) into northern India are continuing topics of inquiry. As a clear example of this process, archaeobotanical data from Barikot have served as the missing link in tracing the ancient dispersal of rice across Eurasia (Spengler et al. 2021b). Dr. Spengler and his team have argued that a diverse array of crops, with origins across Asia, were cultivated around the same settlement. Additionally, these farmers likely implemented seasonal cropping cycles and irrigation that required various labor inputs and water management regimes.

Awards & Recognition:

The broader MAIP project identified the oldest Buddhist temple, rated as one of the 2022 Top Ten Discoveries in Archaeology Magazine.