Punjab govt to excavate 5,000-year-old Gunweriwala City

LAHORE: In a landmark decision, the Punjab government is set to embark on the excavation of the ancient city of Gunweriwala, dating back 5000 years and buried in the Cholistan Desert.

The announcement was made following a recent visit by a team of archaeologists to the ruins of Gunweriwala.

Senior archaeologist Afzal Khan, a former director of Punjab Archaeology and a member of the supervisory team, revealed that while his team would oversee the excavation process, a private company specializing in historical site excavation would be enlisted for the project. Invitations for applications from interested parties will be issued in the coming days.

According to reports, Commissioner Bahawalpur is expected to release tenders in the next few days to award contracts to private companies specializing in excavation work. Actual excavation activities will commence following the completion of the contracting process.

The eight-member team of archaeologists, formed on the directives of the Chief Minister of Punjab, is headed by archaeologist and former Director-General of Archaeology, Dr. Muhammad Rafiq Mughal. The team comprises esteemed experts such as former director archaeology Salim ul Haq, former director archaeology Muhammad Afzal Khan, former director archaeology Maqsood Ahmed, and current director archaeology Muhammad Hassan, among others.

Notably, Gunweriwala’s remains were discovered in 1975 by Dr. Muhammad Rafiq Mughal, and this marks the first significant step towards a comprehensive excavation due to challenges such as resource constraints, water unavailability, and a lack of manpower near the site.

Experts assert that Gunweriwala, situated approximately 60 km southwest of the Derawar Fort, was the third-largest city in the Indus Valley, succeeding Harappa and Mohenjodaro. Positioned between Mohenjodaro and Harappa, it stands 340 km from Mohenjodaro and 260 km from Harappa. The region, settled along the banks of the Hakra River, was once a thriving hub for farming and cattle rearing. However, today, only the city’s ruins and remnants of the Hakra River bear witness to its ancient glory. In the vast Cholistan desert, Gunweriwala stands out as one of the approximately 500 significant archaeological sites awaiting exploration and discovery.