Mundigak is an archaeological site located in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan.[1] It served as a major urban center for the Helmand culture during the Bronze Age.[1][2][3]
Overview
Mundigak was a large prehistoric town with a cultural sequence spanning from the 5th to the 2nd millennia BCE.[1][4] The settlement flourished within the culture of the Helmand Basin (Seistan).[1][5] It was the second-largest center of the Helmand culture.[2] The largest center, Shahr-i-Sokhta, covered approximately 60 hectares by 2400 BCE.[1] Mundigak covered an area of 21 hectares.[1][2] The site is closely related to Bampur in Iran.[1] It was previously thought that both Shahr-i-Sokhta and Mundigak began to decline around 2200 BCE.[1]
Geography and Location
The site is situated approximately 55 km northwest of Kandahar near Shāh Maqsūd.[1] It lies on the upper drainage of the Kushk-i Nakhud River.[1] The site is located within the Khakrez District.[7] The Helmand River is the only major perennial river between Mesopotamia and the Indus River.[8] The location of Mundigak within the drainage of one of its main tributaries is a significant factor in its cultural development.[8]
The Helmand Culture
Mundigak provides a record of early farming, craft production, architecture, and regional exchange.[9]
- Period I (~4000–3800 BCE): The lowest layers likely date to the fifth millennium BC.[4] Evidence of permanent buildings appears in layer 3.[6] Early residential buildings were simple rectangular adobe structures consisting of one to three rooms.[6] Ceramics from this period were mainly open forms, including some painted with simple geometric patterns.[10]
- Population density in area A increased during this phase. Buildings became multi-roomed, and a deep well was found in one courtyard.
*
It features monumental structures including a large palace uncovered in area A.[11]
Architecture and Urban Planning
The site features a monumentalization that occurred during Period IV.[8] This included the construction of "ramparts" and a palace.[8] The palace was built on stone foundations with thick mud-brick walls.[8] The city layout included a residential quarter on Mound B.[8]
Archaeologists have noted stylistic links between Mundigak and the "hut" motif of the Halil Rud Civilization in Iran.[8][12] The site also produced stone seals, including button seals that show material and stylistic connections with Central Asia.[8]
Archaeological Excavations and Significance
The French Archaeological Mission (MAI) conducted excavations from 1951 to 1958 under the direction of Jean Marie Casal.[1][11] The excavations were supported by the DAFA.[1][13] The team explored eleven different places within the excavation area.[1]
- Area A: Located on the highest point of the city, this area contained the remains of a palace and urban areas from almost all periods.[1]
- Area C: Located northwest of Area A, remains here reach back to Period III.[1]
- Areas B, D to I, P, and R: These areas primarily revealed remnants of Period IV.[1] A plan of a massive monument for Period V was identified in area A.[11]
Most of the finds are currently held in the National Museum in Kabul and the Museum Guimet in Paris.[1][11] The pottery and artifacts from the site show remarkable similarities to motifs in the ancient Indus Valley, including a pipal leaf, a rat trap, and a humped bull.[8]
Sources
- Mundigak - Wikipedia
- Mundigak | Afghanistan | Archaeolist
- Afghanistan - Wikipedia
- Mundigak - Jatland Wiki
- Time Off to Dig--Archaeology and Adventure in Remote Afghanistan
- Mundigak - Archaeological site in Kandahar, Afghanistan
- Mundigak Map - Khakrez District, Afghanistan - Mapcarta
- Mundigak @ the Guimet | Harappa
- What is the history of Mundigak? - Famidi
- خبرگزاری صدای افغان(آوا) | اخبار افغانستان و جهان | Afghan voice agenc...
- The Archaeology of Afghanistan from earliest times to the Timurid period
- The Mundigak Palace Facade and "Hut" Motif from Jiroft
- Saving Afghanistan's Incredible Heritage | CNRS News