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One of the people of Pakistan's best kept secrets, the ancient
city of Moenjodaro is the most impressive ruin of the
165 Indus Valley sites where ancient people settled on the
banks of the fertile Indus River. Moenjodaro dates back some
10,000 years.
The peak of the mighty city's population of 50,000 was from
2500 to 1500BC, and its name means 'Mound of the Dead'. After
the city demised, Kushan monks erected a Stupa Mound which
was once the only visible sign of the site. It wasn't excavated
until 1922, when archaeologists found more than they'd bargained
for under the Buddhist stupa. The government has invested
much time and money in developing the site, but it has proved
slow work as water logging is a major problem and no new excavations
have been attempted in the last 40 years.
Moenjodaro people and society
It is thought that the ruler of this once great city was
both a priest and a king. The people here believed in the
worship of a mother goddess, tree gods and animal worship
- in particular the bull. The Moenjodaro society's roots have
much in common with early Hinduism. The people of the city
were of Central Asian origin and wore fine muslim cloths with
elaborate designs. They were advanced scientifically and culturally
and would play a game like chess on paved floors. Although
farming was the main means of survival for its people, the
Moenjodaranas may have had trading links with Persia, Tibet,
Burma and China as precious stones and statues were among
the relics discovered here. They produced wheel crafted pottery
called black and red ware which depicted images of
animals and gods in human form. Their clay currency was etched
with animal images, almost identical to those found on the
remote insolated Easter Island at the other end of the world.
There are many theories about the demise of this city - some
believe it was destroyed in either an earthquake or a flood.
Many levels of buildings were constructed on top of one another
and the houses became more unstable and prone to natural destruction.
Some believe the presence of mutilated skeletons suggest that
the city was ramsacked by Aryan invaders around 1000 BC.
A written language was used here, many scripts have been
uncovered with a shared language among the Indus Valley although
no expert has yet been able to decipher what any of it means.
Baffling linguistics experts around the world, some believe
the texts are a forerunner to Brahui (still spoken
in Baluchistan), other believe it pre-emts Sanskrit,
others think that it is a form of hieroglyphics. Without
any shared language translation like the Egyptian Hierogylphics
Rosetta Stone, it it likely to remain one of the great unsolved
mysteries of the ancient world.
Visiting Moenjodaro today
It costs a mere Rs 4 (8 cents) to enter the site, which is
open year round. You'll need to fly in here, don't think about
travelling overland as Sind is a dangerous state and tourists
are banned from everywhere outside of this site and Karachi.
Until recent times, tourists were escorted to and from the
airport by a guard, but recently this hasn't been necessary
as the site has not been subject to attacks on tourists. Check
with your local embassy on the situation before heading out.
You may be able to get one of the museum officer to give
you a guided tour as the ruins aren't easy to find. The tourist
office is by the entrance of the site. The museum contain
choice finds from the site. Modern day replica gifts of clay
pieces can be bought from an ajacent state shop.
The site is rare and rapidly deteriorating, turning to dust
at a touch and as the waters rise those remains under the
surface of the ground may never be seen by the world. Much
that remains is dated from 2500BC from an artificial 'mound'
made for housing the ruling elite, presumably to keep a watchful
eye on their people. The upper levels of the city contain
remains of a Bath, an assembly hall and a granary. A small
part of the excavated lower ground contains living quarters
for the wealthy and poor, the best preserved of these were
thought to have been artisans shops. Sanitary was unusually
sophisticated for the period with pipes leading from the houses
to the gutter and public wells and latrines.
Getting there and away
There are flights every day going to and from Monejodaro.
A return flight costs around 800R ($13 US) each way, departing
from Karachi in the early morning and leaving Monejodaro the
next morning or late afternoon. It is possible to stay the
night on the site at the archeology Resthouse. A luxury motel
is currently under construction. |
