Tales of the Early Human in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region of Chitral (Pakistan): Traditional stories and Archaeological facts
Abstract ID: 3.9463 | Not reviewed | Requested as: Talk | TBA | TBA
Abdul Hameed (1)
(1) Hazara University, Block #15, Department of Archaeology, 211300 Mansehra, PK
Abstract
Chitral, one of the secluded valleys of Pakistan is located on the westernmost part of the Himalaya and on the southern slope of the Hindu Kush Mountain ranges. The valley is counted among the highest regions of the world ranging from 1094 metres at Arundu to 7726 metres at Tirich Mayer. Chitral occupies the northwesterly part of the present Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan. It has the Badakhshan province of Afghanistan to the west, Wakhan to the north, The Gilgit Baltistan region of Pakistan to the east and Dir and Swat districts to the south. The mountainous nature of the valley is extreme, with over forty peaks exceeding 6000 metres. Between these tall mountains, there are small but fertile valleys along the rivers and smaller streams that provided sufficient resources for human population for survival since the prehistoric time. The mountain passes also played a significant role in human migration and traveling. Archaeological field investigations in the Hindu Kush-Himalaya region of Chitral has revealed tales of the early peoples, ranging from the prehistoric to the 21st century. The remains of these stories are found in the form of rock art, cemeteries, ancient forts & fortresses, tombs and shrines along with portable artefacts including households, ritual and trade objects. Apart from the archaeological remains, there are also interesting tales about the early humans still preserved in the memory of the local community. The present research is based on the archaeological findings collected through explorations and excavation and traditional stories, orally transferred from one generation to the others, which are often neglected by archaeologists while narrating the human past of this mountainous region. The present research is thus aimed at considering the anthropological knowledge of the local communities along with the archaeological data to understand the tales of human past. It highlights the significance and limitation of anthropological knowledge to understand and interpret the archaeological data to complete the tales of early humans. This present research also elaborates the exceptional features of the early human tales found in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region of Chitral.
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