Sassi Punnu Fort
[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.
[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.
As compared to the rest of Pakistan, the summer monsoon of July and August is less pronounced and thus adequate irrigation is absolutely necessary for the viability of agricultural products.
[4] Initially discovered and explored in 1927 by Hungarian-British archaeologist Aurel Stein, the site of Miri Qalat saw a series of excavations between the span of 7 years from 1990 to 1997, led by the French Archaeological Mission.
While preliminary exploration was conducted by Stein, Besenval and his team later laid down eleven trenches during the seventh season of excavations in order to gather stratified data and identify the specific cultural phases from history present at the site of Miri Qalat.
[11] Besenval's decision to excavate the site of Miri Qalat was a rather remarkable one, as it provided crucial data in establishing a chrono-cultural sequence for the region of Kech-Makran.
[12] Situated approximately 6 km north-west of the present-day city of Turbat, Balochistan, Miri Qalat is topped with an Islamic fortress and is located in the close proximity to the right bank of the Kech River, making it an important site of agricultural promise and civilization.
Some of the noticeable findings from the excavations include: Based on the dating of these artifacts, Miri Qalat was found to have played a major role in the Indus Valley Civilization.
[4] Furthermore, archaeo-botanical and archaeo-zoological analysis of the coast bordering Miri Qalat provided important data on the ancient environment and food economy of Kech-Makran as a whole.
[12] Archaeologists, including Cecile Buquet, Jean Desse, Nathalie Desse-Berset, Aurore Didier, Vincent Marcon, Benjamin Mutin, and Margareta Tengberg, conducted a paleo-geographical reconstruction of the ancient terrain, land, rivers, and coastline to better understand past resource use.
[7] This system consists of an array of underground galleries that gather and store water from the ground at the foot of the lower lying mountains surrounding the valley.
[14] Furthermore, this excavation has the potential to boost the nation's trade and economy, as the site predates even the pyramids of Egypt, representing some of the oldest and earliest human settlements in history.
[8] According to other accounts it is called Miri-Kalat and is related to prince Punnhu a character in the love tale Sassui Punhun, narrated by many poets including Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai of Sindh.
