Sassui Punnhu Fort (Sindhi: : سسئي پنهون قلعو), (Urdu: : سسی پنوں قلعہ), also known as Miri Kalat, is a historical site and tourist spot near Turbat City in Turbat Tehsil, Kech District, Balochistan, Pakistan.[1] The ancient archaeological site is located near the fort in which ancient graves are sited. In the graves, the skeletons of humans are openly laid into graves. The fort is now on the verge of disappearance.[2][3]
The miri qalat archaeological site has been dated back to the 3rd millennium BC. The name itself can be translated to "Prince's Fortress," with the term "Mir" stemming from Arabic ancestry, meaning "prince," and the word "Qalat" stemming from the Arabic and Persian word for "fortress." Situated in the larger region of Kech-Makran in the southwestern part of the Pakistani province of Balochistan, Miri Qalat is often regarded as "the most important archaeological site of the Kech Valley," although it represents only a small part of the entire region.[4][5]
Excavations of the site of Miri Qalat took place during the late 20th century, initially revealing signs of settlement which consisted of mud-brick and stone structures. Through various dating methods, archaeologists dated the site to the beginnings of the Indus Valley Civilization (2500-1900 BCE), placing it in the second half of the 3rd millennium BC.[4]
Led by archaeologist Roland Besenval, the excavation was aimed at understanding the site's strata along with its paleo-economical and paleo-environmental context.[6] These findings are crucial for understanding the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age periods in South Asia, and provide insight on the region's first urban civilization.[4]
The archaeological trench excavation not only led to a greater historical understanding of local tradition and its connection to Iranian culture, but also shed light on trade interactions within the region and with the Oman Peninsula.
- ^ "Miri Kalat — The Fort of Punnu".
- ^ "Historical significance of Punnu Fort". Daily Times. 2019-03-20. Retrieved 2020-04-18.
- ^ "Punnu Fort". Pakistan Tours Guide. Retrieved 2020-04-18.
- ^ a b c The President and Fellows of Harvard College (2024). "The site of Miri Qalat and the Kech-Makran (Balochistan, Pakistan) during the second half of the 3rd millennium BC". Harvard University Shelby White and Leon Levy Program for Archaeological Publications. Archived from the original on 2024-04-02. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
- ^ Government of Balochistan. "Explore – The Official Web Gateway to Balochistan". Government of Balochistan. Archived from the original on 22 April 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
- ^ Naseer, Shakir; Jan, Zakirullah (2018). "Explorations and Excavations in Balochistan: An Overview of Archaeological Investigations in the Post-Independence Period". Research Journal of the Department of Archaeology Hazara University Mansehra-Pakistan: 45–60. Archived from the original on 2024-04-23. Retrieved 2024-04-22.