Nausharo

Nausharo is located in Balochistan, Pakistan. It is well known as an archaeological site for the Harappan period. The excavations were carried out between 1985 and 1996 by a French team of archaeologists, under the direction of Jean-François Jarrige. The other sites belonging to the same cluster are Mehrgarh and Pirak.

Nausharo excavation

Excavations at Nausharo, 6 km from Mehrgarh, revealed a dwelling-site contemporaneous and identical to Mehrgarh, It was occupied between 3000 and 2550 BCE and again between 2550 and 1900 BCE.

The discovery of a pottery workshop at Nausharo revealed fired and unfired pottery pieces and unworked clay, as well as 12 flint blades or blade fragments. The blades showed use-wear traces that indicates their usage in shaving clay while shaping pottery on a potter's wheel. The excavated blades were compared to experimentally produced replica blades used for a variety of other activities such as harvesting and processing of silica-rich plants, hide processing, and hand-held use for shaping clay, however, the use-wear traces were almost identical to the excavated blades when used with a mechanical potter's wheel in the shaping of clay pots. Also significant was the discovery of copper traces found on the platforms of two blades examined with a scanning electron microscope and X ray analysis.

Chronology

Naushahdu Matka, a jar made around (2700 - 1800 BC) found in Nausharo

• Period IA c. 2900-2800 BCE
• Period IB c. 2800-2700 BCE
• Period IC c. 2700-2600 BCE
• Period ID c. 2600-2550 BCE (transition period)
• Period IIA c. 2550-2300 BCE
• Period IIB c. 2300-1900 BCE
• Period III c. 1900-1800 BCE

See also

• Indus Valley Civilization
• List of Indus Valley Civilization sites
• List of inventions and discoveries of the Indus Valley Civilization
• Hydraulic engineering of the Indus Valley Civilization
• Mehrgarh
• Pirak

Further reading

Jarrige, Catherine; Une tête d'éléphant en terre cuite de Nausharo (Pakistan) [An elephant's head in terracotta:Nausharo (Pakistan)] (French).

External links

• Cooking pots, Nausharo
• Toy carts, Nausharo
• Centre for Archaeological Research Indus Balochistan