Punjab University archaeologists claim to have unearthed a seal of Indus Valley Civilisation vintage from the Cholistan desert of South Punjab that borders Rajasthan.
According to a report in The Dawn newspaper, the seal in steatite material with the carved figure of ibex and two pictographs was discovered during a survey of different sites near the Derawar Fort along the ancient bed of the Hakra river. The seal is more or less square-shaped and slightly broken from the right side but the image of the ibex is intact.
The seal is said to date back to 2500-2000 B.C. and, according to the chairman of Punjab University's Archaeology Department, Farzand Masih, is different from Harappan seals. This, according to him, could be reflective of a regional influence and possibly even a separate identity in the Harappan domain.
The seal was discovered during the Sui-Vihar Excavations and Archaeological Reconnaissance of Southern Punjab — a project funded by UNESCO to explore sites along the Hakra river. The project aimed at learning more about Buddhist influence in this region which has its own distinctive features as opposed to the Gandhara school of art further north. The team also conducted excavations at Sui-Vihar which is billed as the only existing example of Sankhya doctrines in Pakistan.
