A NOTE ON THE SPATIAL CONCEPT OF OFFERINGS AND BELONGINGS RECENTLY REPORTED FROM THE ANCIENT CEMETERY OF THAMUNIAK BROZE, CHITRAL, PAKISTAN

Abstract

Chitral is an important district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan. Its rich archaeological heritage has attracted researchers especially those interested in the Protohistoric era or Iron Age. The most important Iron Age cemeteries reported in the region include Chakast, Shahmirandeh, Parwak, Gankoriniotek and Thamuniak Broze. Of these, the Iron Age cemetery of Thamuniak Broze located in District Lower Chitral has been excavated recently by the team of archaeologists from Department of Archaeology, Hazara University, Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Our current excavation at Thamuniak site was funded by the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan under National Research Program for Universities (NRPU). This excavation has revealed ten graves. Of these, Grave nos. 1, 8-9 and 10 have been assigned to the Iron Age based on the archaeological and biological remains. While the rest of the six graves revealed medieval period Muslim burials as evident from their orientation in N-S and perpendicular to Mecca. Unlike the Iron Age graves, the medieval period graves did not reveal archaeological artefacts (grave goods). The present paper discusses the two graves i.e., Grave 8-9 and 10 with special focus on the spatial arrangements with skeletal remains placed on the western side. While the eastern sides of the graves are allocated for personal belongings (such as ornaments, weapons, tools) of the deceased and for the offerings (animal sacrifices and terracotta offering jars most probably contained food). Personal belongings include jewelry, weapons, and tools which are most commonly found in Iron Age burials but the offerings consisting of the bowls with bony fragments (must be food items) and animals’ skeletal remains. This is how; the researchers were able to differentiate between the belongings.