MGAP07 End of Season Report
Medieval Ghur Archaeological Project – End of Season Report
by David Thomas and Dr Alison Gascoigne
(with contributions from other team members)
Introduction
The main aims of the 2007 season were:
 To organise four days of seminars at Kabul University. The seminars would focus on
training staff and students from the University and representatives from the National
Afghan Institute of Archaeology (NAIA) in modern archaeological survey
techniques.
 To conduct three weeks of survey work in Ghur province
 To complete the analysis of the remaining ceramics from our 2003 and 2005 seasons
at Jam
 To finalise and publish educational booklets about Jam and the Ghurids for Afghan
students and adults
 To give presentations about our work, so as to raise awareness of the rich medieval
Islamic heritage of Afghanistan
Several of these aims were successfully completed during our stay in Afghanistan from
2nd July until 5th August, 2007.1 Major, unforeseeable obstacles, however, prevented us from
undertaking the planned field season. Despite this, we were able to initiate other studies
which resulted in the productive utilization of our time in Kabul.
Kabul University seminars2
Four days of seminars were held at Kabul University from 31st July to 4th August, as part of
Afghanistan’s National Development Strategy for capacity building. We are the first team
from foreign universities to have prepared and given such a series of seminars. Thirty-five
members of staff, students and representatives of NAIA attended the seminars (Fig. 1),
despite on-going exams.
The thirteen seminars covered a wide range of topics, reflecting the multi-disciplinary and
skilled nature of our team:
 Pre-season research techniques, site identification and documentation, survey
equipment, data collation and analysis (DCT)
 Photography (Travis Beard and Fardin Waezi – Aina Photography)
 Occupational Health and Safety, and First Aid (IS)
 Ceramics (ALG)
 Illustration (PC)
 Conservation (JH)
 Art history (LM)
The 2007 team consisted of: David Thomas (La Trobe University) – co-director; Dr Alison Gascoigne
(University of Cambridge) – co-director; Haji Ghulam Naqshband Rajabi – archaeologist; Pieter Collet
– illustrator; Jane Hamill – conservator; Dr Fiona Kidd (University of Sydney) – archaeologist; Leslee
Michelsen (University of Pennsylvania) – PhD student; Iain Shearer (University College London) –
medical officer. Fath-e Mohammad was our genial driver; Nasratullah facilitated visa extensions for
DCT and FJK.
2
The seminar series was sponsored by the British Embassy – particular thanks are due to Alex Hill,
Daud Akbary and Natalie Maglio for their assistance in securing this funding. The seminars were ably
translated into Dari by Abdul Wali Yawari, and a printed summary of each day’s main points was also
provided in Dari – if funding permits, we will publish the seminars as a booklet.
1
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MGAP07 End of Season Report
The seminars blended theory and practice, with an emphasis being placed on student
participation during the practicals.
At the end of the seminar series, the attendees were presented with a certificate and a CD
containing the Powerpoint presentations, Minaret of Jam Archaeological Project publications
and additional reading. We also donated survey equipment, including Geographical
Positioning Systems (GPS) and digital cameras, to the University and NAIA. A questionnaire
provided useful feedback on how the seminars could be improved in the future. The
overwhelming majority of the students found the seminars interesting and enjoyable; many
expressed regret that we were not able to go to Ghur as planned, and to give some of them the
opportunity to put the theory of survey techniques into practice.
Educational booklets3
Overseas archaeological projects have an obligation to make the results of their work
accessible to people in the host nation, as well as to academic audiences around the world.
This is particularly important in countries such as Afghanistan, which are re-building their
academic infrastructure and knowledge base. We have been working towards this goal since
the end of the 2005 season, and our prolonged stay in Kabul enabled us to finalize our bilingual educational booklets for Afghan students and adults (copies accompany this report).
The Students’ Booklet follows ‘a day in the life’ of two children, living in Firuzkuh
(ancient Jam) during the Ghurid period, eight hundred years ago. Each section concludes with
a series of questions and tasks in an attempt to focus the students’ attention. The Adults’
Booklet covers a range of topics including Jam’s geographical and historical setting, our
fieldwork at the site in 2003 and 2005 and the issue of the looting of antiquities.
Copies of the booklets were donated to the Ministry of Information and Culture and
NAIA in Kabul, while Afghanaid and Haji Naqshband Rajabi kindly distributed copies in
Ghur province and Ghazni, respectively. If funding permits, we will translate the booklets
into Pashto.
Bala Hissar (DCT, ALG and FJK)
Bala Hissar, the ‘High Fort’, is the archaeological heart of Kabul. The site has been occupied
since at least the Kushan period, although it is better known as the residence of Babur
(founder of the Mughal Empire) and the scene of Anglo-Afghan conflicts in the late 1800s.
Concern about the damage being done to the site by construction work prompted the Ministry
of Information and Culture (MoIC) and the Society for the Preservation of Afghanistan’s
Cultural Heritage (SPACH) to lobby successfully for an immediate halt to the construction
work.
We made two visits to the site, at the Ministry’s invitation, and accompanied by
representatives of NAIA, the Department of Historic Monuments and the Aga Khan Trust for
Culture. The aim of the visits was to assess the damage caused by the contractors and to
gather what archaeological information we could from the trenches. We were the first team of
archaeologists to be permitted onto the site since the work was halted.
For the purposes of this initial assessment, we numbered the trenches Tr 1-8 (see Fig. 2,
based on measured sketch plans and the GoogleEarth image provided by Dr Jonathan Lee).
3
We are very grateful to the Lonely Planet Foundation and the Publications Committee of the Faculty
of Oriental Studies (University of Cambridge) for funding this aspect of our work. The British Council
in Afghanistan commissioned 2,000 extra copies of the Students’ booklet. The text of the booklets was
translated by Reza Sharifi (SPACH); Mohammed Zia Afshar also provided invaluable assistance. Ben
Churcher (Astarte Resources, Australia) prepared the layout of the booklets, while Dr Catriona
Bonfiglioli provided additional illustrative material which greatly enhanced their appearance. The
booklets were printed by Habibullah Haseeb Printing and Advertising Company in Kabul.
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MGAP07 End of Season Report
Trench
1
Length
39 m
Width
23 m
Depth
1.4 m
2
3
55 m
52 m
43 m
12 m
2.3 m
0.8 m
4
5
6
7
8
52 m
n/r
48 m
38 m
35 m
12 m
n/r
13 m
7m
27 m
0.9 m
n/r
1.5 m
n/r
2.2 m
Comment
Possibly overlies a 16th century mosque, but little
stratigraphy in section
Medieval / pre-Islamic sherds
Major foundations of a 20th (?) century building
in section; wall-lines continue for 10 m to the
west before turning north for 9.5 m
Similar to Trench 3 – part of the same building?
Vegetation growing in the trench
n/r
n/r
1 small wall in section, little other architecture;
some pre-Islamic ceramics
Table 1: summary details of the trenches dug at Bala Hissar4
Trench 1
This, the most southerly trench, is of particular concern since, judging from the GoogleEarth
image, it partly overlies the probable location of a sixteenth century Mughal mosque – the
Mosque of the Amirs of Afghanistan. Fortunately, the archaeological damage here appears to
be minimal, despite the size of the trench – the exposed sections in the east and south show
little by way of archaeological remains and the trench appears to be dug into silty fill / wash.
Trench 2
Trench 2 is considerably larger than Trench 1 and is less neatly finished. The remnants of a
wall appears in the south section and the northern, unfinished part of the trench contains a
jumble of baked bricks, bone, ceramics and other debris of uncertain date. The indisputable
presence of medieval and Kushan ceramics is of great concern. These ceramics may not have
been in situ when they were dug up, but their frequency and distribution is suggestive of
significant archaeological deposits close to the surface in this area, dating back over 1500
years.
Trench 3
Trench 3 contains the highest incidence of archaeological remains in section. At least twenty
stone and baked brick wall stubs were noted (Fig. 3); Wall 4, for example, is 1.4 m wide and
0.7 m high. White (lime?) surfaces are associated with several of these walls, indicating the
presence of a large, relatively recent, regular building, possibly a barracks. The south end of
the trench has been covered with fine gravel – levelling in preparation for construction. More
detailed inspection would be required to ascertain whether the gravel is sterile, or whether it
contains cultural material from elsewhere.
Trench 4
Trench 4 is similar to Trench 3 in its size, north-south orientation and contents – the
excavations have exposed fifteen wall stubs and associated surfaces in section; gravel
levelling covers much of the southern part of the trench. Towards the north of the trench, a
cement pipe and cut electric cables were noted 0.8 m below the tarmacked surface. This
obviously points to a relatively recent date for the deposits in this part of the trench.
Trench 5
Trench 5, to the east of Trench 4, is larger and less neatly finished than Trenches 3 and 4.
Vegetation growing in the base of the trench indicates that it has been open for quite a while.
A distinct surface can be seen in one section.
4
Measurements are accurate to +/- 0.5 m; n/r – not recorded
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MGAP07 End of Season Report
Trenches 6-7
The limited time available meant that we were unable to look in the other trenches to the east
of Trench 5 in detail.
Trench 8
Trench 8 is located to the west of Trench 2 and also has pre-Islamic ceramics. It is unfinished
and at the time of inspection resembled a ploughed field. Large quantities of ceramics, bone
and stone were visible in the disturbed soil. A small mortared wall, standing seven courses
(0.9 m) high was noted in the south-east corner of the trench. Other features included a
possible stone-lined drain – the architecture exposed in the trench sections looks relatively
modern.
The spoil heaps
We also inspected the large spoil heaps to the north of Trenches 2-5 and found dense scatters
of sherds and bone (including human crania) among the spoil – these finds probably indicate
that a significant amount of occupational debris, albeit of a comparatively recent date, and
possible burials have been disturbed in the area. The sherds were predominantly from the last
century or so, with many incised blue / turquoise glazed bowls in the Istalif style, as well as
fairly recent bright yellow glazed wares. Again, however, a handful of earlier slipunderpainted glazed sherds of earlier (seventeenth to eighteenth century) date were also
noted.
Ceramics from Bala Hissar (ALG and LM)
Ceramic sherds often indicate the presence of archaeological deposits, even in the absence of
more structural archaeological remains – this is the case for the trenches at Bala Hissar.
Pottery was collected on two occasions: during our first visit, a few pieces were picked up
from Trench 2 and the large northern spoil heap, with a more general collection being made
across the whole area by members of NAIA. During our subsequent visit, all diagnostic
sherds (of any date and all wares) were picked up from inside each numbered trench (Fig. 4).
This collection provides the means to compare the trenches in terms of quantity of ceramics,
and to pin-point those areas that have a greater level of archaeological activity. It should be
noted, however, that in Trenches 1, 3 and 4, where the trench bottoms have been compacted
and/or overlain with gravel, far fewer sherds were visible.
The sherds were analysed, catalogued and drawn by Alison Gascoigne, Leslee Michelsen
and Pieter Collet (see Appendix 1 for summary information). The small size of the sample, in
combination with the fairly wide date range of the collection, prevented the creation of a
rigorous fabric series. Attempts were, however, made to define broad groups, and detailed
fabric descriptions were recorded for much of the assemblage. The use of visually similar
clays for sherds of widely different date, in addition to the presence of extremely diverse
fabrics within a single ware (such as the Istalifi glazed ceramics), indicates the complexity of
this issue. Further work, preferably on stratified material, is required to document fully the
fabrics in use through time in Bala Hissar. Despite this caveat, the most common wares were
defined and described, and ninety-six sherds were drawn. The resultant catalogue, while much
richer for the late medieval to modern period (circa the sixteenth century onwards), also
includes earlier Islamic, and pre-Islamic, forms.
It is clear from the distribution of wares across the trenches that the most significant
archaeological contexts lie at the western end of the area into which the trenches were cut.5
Trenches 2 and 8 contained a lot of pottery; along with Trench 1, they yielded pre-Islamic
The small number of sherds from Trench 1 can be explained by the ‘finished’ nature of the
excavation: the floor and sides have been cleaned and foundation layers of compacted gravel obscure
the natural surface.
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MGAP07 End of Season Report
sherds, including some of late Kushan date and at least one probably somewhat earlier.6 Both
the western end, and the central Trenches (4 and 5), contain some late medieval ceramic
material, in line with the known use of the site in Mughal times. Common wares include blueand-white underpainted glazed ware (with both quartz- and clay-based fabrics, in addition to
imported Chinese examples); black-and-turquoise underpainted ware; monochrome yellow
and green glazed wares; and moulded ware. The eastern trenches are much more sterile, with
the most common ceramic type being white tile pieces of very recent date. The most
commonly noted sherds on the large spoil heaps at the east end were from incised, turquoiseglazed ‘Istalifi’ bowls, the manufacture of which continues today.7
Conclusion and suggested course of action
The areas bulldozed by the contractors are much more extensive than we anticipated. The
amount of archaeological remains visible in the sections is variable, and in most cases
relatively modern. That said, the location of Trench 1 over the putative Mughal mosque and
the discovery of medieval and pre-Islamic sherds in Trenches 2 and 8 is of considerable
concern. The architectural remains in Trenches 3-5 are part of Afghanistan’s recent cultural
heritage – despite being relatively modern, they should be investigated properly rather than
destroyed without consideration.
The question of what to do about the trenches is obviously dependent upon the wishes
and resources of the relevant Afghan authorities. We do not believe that significant damage
will result if the trenches are left open in the short-term. The large exposed areas provide the
opportunity for important excavations in the future, should they be deemed appropriate – the
site could form the focus of a major training project for Afghan archaeologists.
The ultimate responsibility for funding further work (whether documentation, back-filling
and/or excavation) lies with the contractors and their funders. Construction work, particularly
at a known archaeological / historical site, should not be undertaken without a proper impact
assessment and watching brief. It appears that neither of these safeguards was in place, and
thus the contractors must bear the full costs of rectifying this situation.
The Kabul National Museum8
Kandahar Ceramics (DCT, ALG, LM and FJK)
The Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and more recent conflicts resulted in the destruction
and loss of a large amount of pre-1979 survey and excavation material, in addition to the
well-documented looting of archaeological sites. Occasionally, a ‘good news story’ comes to
light, however, and the recovery of ceramics from the 1975-1978 British Institute excavations
at Kandahar is a case in point. These finds were re-discovered in the basement of the old
British Embassy. They were carefully repackaged in 65 mail-sacks and 30 large plastic crates
and returned to the Kabul National Museum in 2004. They have since lain untouched in the
Museum basement (Fig. 5).
Over the course of two weeks, MGAP team members and Museum staff compiled an
inventory of the artefacts. We listed 2,415 bags of ceramics, transcribing the relevant details
on the labels. The fact that we were able to collate so much data is testimony to the Kandahar
Project’s double-labelling of bags – a significant number of the external labels were no longer
legible. We also re-bagged much of the pottery to preserve the stratigraphic integrity of the
collection.
6
We are grateful to Dr Ute Franke-Vogt and Philippe Marquis for discussions about the dating of the
Bala Hissar corpus.
7
A study of the development of pottery manufacturing at Istalif would be of major significance in our
understanding of late Islamic ceramics.
8
Mr Masoudi, General Director of Museums, and his staff in the Kabul National Museum were most
welcoming and helpful during our stay – we are delighted to see the progress that has been made at the
Museum in recent years, and we look forward to undertaking further collaborative projects in the
future.
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MGAP07 End of Season Report
The inventory was entered into an Excel spreadsheet and standardized – the records can
thus be sorted according to box, context number, etc. Two printed copies of the inventory,
sorted by current location and trench, were deposited in the Museum, and one with the
SPACH. We will also make the data available on our website.
The conservation records from the excavations were found among the ceramics. We
photographed each page and our conservator, Jane Hamill, typed up the records so the
Museum would have a digital record of the treatments carried out on each object. We were
pleasantly surprised that many of the conservation techniques applied by the Kandahar team
thirty years ago are still in favour today.
We hope that documenting the ceramics will facilitate further study of the remains from
this important site, which is unlikely to be excavated again for the foreseeable future.
Islamic Gravestones (PC, JH and DCT; tracings by PC, HGNR, FJK, DCT, ALG,
LM)
A group of nine Islamic gravestones are on display in the Museum gardens, close to the west
gate (Fig. 6). The gravestones come from a variety of poorly provenanced sources; to the best
of our knowledge, they have not been studied or published previously. Most appear to be
Timurid in date, although the two more worn examples (Gr 1 and Gr 8) may be earlier.
GrNo.
1
Length
103 cm
Width
42 cm
Height
38 cm
Provenance
Police station Auzay
3 and 7
2
150 cm
35 cm
39 cm
3
176 cm
54 cm
43 cm
4
168 cm
42 cm
tbc
5
225 cm
74 cm
58 cm
Saraya
Abdul
Rahman Khan, Kabul
Saraya
Abdul
Rahman Khan, Kabul
Police station Auzay
3 and 7
nr Pul-e Artan
6
tbc
tbc
tbc
nr Pul-e Artan
7
174 cm
54 cm
54 cm
nr Pul-e Artan
8
119 cm
tbc
9
150 cm
28 cm
> 55
cm
>32 cm
Mir Bacha Kot, nr
road to Charikar
Police station Auzay
3 and 7
Comment
Seized by police, 3-4 years
ago; very worn –preTimurid?
Found in 2003-04
Found in 2003-04
Seized by police, 3-4 years
ago
Found ca 25 years ago;
undecorated panels
Found ca 25 years ago;
undecorated panels
Found ca 25 years ago;
unfinished panel
Very worn – pre-Timurid?
Seized by police, 3-4 years
ago
Table 1: details of gravestones in the Kabul National Museum garden9
The gravestones were washed and patches of tar and cement were cleaned. Flaking areas
of stone on two of the gravestones were consolidated by our conservator following
consultation with the Restoration Department in the Museum. We then measured and
photographed the gravestones, before tracing the decoration and inscriptions onto plastic
sheets at a scale of 1:1 (Fig. 7). An end panel on Gr 7 is unfinished, while Gr 5 and Gr 6 have
several undecorated panels – analysis of the inscriptions and comparative research may reveal
why this is the case.
We will publish the inkings of the gravestone tracings and translations of the inscriptions
in collaboration with a Timurid scholar.
Conservation (JH)
Conservation work in the Museum consisted of training Museum staff, advising them on
conservation materials, practical work treating artefacts and an assessment of the insect pest
9
The provenance information was kindly provided by Mohib Zarda of the Kabul National Museum.
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MGAP07 End of Season Report
problem in the Museum. Some of these problems are unfortunately symptomatic of wellmeaning donors who provide materials and equipment, but not sufficient training and
documentation.
The conservators in the Museum have only a limited knowledge of conservation
materials. We attempted to rectify this situation as best we could in the short time available,
by donating some textbooks and conservation materials which the Museum has run out of and
is unable to purchase easily. A more systematic process of training, documentation and
conservation material replenishment is obviously desirable and urgently needed.
Conservation work was carried out, in collaboration with Museum staff, on the
gravestones, wooden panels (Fig. 8) and stucco objects. Two damaged and poorly restored
Buddha figures were cleaned and repaired. We demonstrated ways of desalinating fragile
ceramics and softening encrustations, which do not involve the immersion in acids or other
harsh chemicals. These are both safer for the artefact and the conservator, and reduce the
amount of chemicals required. Such techniques are not only more cost effective but also less
damaging for the environment.
The insect problem could be dealt with through a system of monitoring and recording. In
order to facilitate the implementation of an Insect Pest Management (IPM) Strategy, we will
send insect traps and information on the identification of pests to the Museum when we return
to the UK. These will enable the Museum staff to identify and deal with the sources of the
infestations. The need for effective house-keeping and building maintenance to prevent future
pest infestations was also detailed.
At Mr Masoudi’s request, we will write a proposal outlining the type of training required
and listing equipment and materials which the Museum needs, if appropriate funding became
available. The water distillation machine, for example, is no longer operational due to a lack
of maintenance expertise and the construction of a fume cabinet would have significant
occupational health and safety benefits. A specialist textile conservator is particularly needed
as the Museum has a large textile collection. We also discussed the possibility of providing
training for Museum staff from the regional museums around Afghanistan and students from
Kabul University.
Figurines (FJK)
Preliminary research was undertaking into terracotta figurines held in the collections of the
Museum as part of Dr Kidd’s on-going post-doctoral research into Central Asian figurines
and costume, and work on the publication of the figurines from the excavations at Kandahar.
The aim of this pilot study was to ascertain the number of figurines housed at the Museum
and whether any remain unpublished. The Museum staff were helpful and provided inventory
lists and photographs. Unfortunately, these photographs are unreferenced, due to Intellectual
Property concerns. This made it impossible to verify, at this stage, from which site they come.
Two drawers of figurines from the Graeco-Bactrian site of Dilberdzhin were noted in the
basement of the Museum during our inventory work on the Kandahar ceramics, although we
had been told that none of the figurine collection was held at the Museum. Despite the
limitations of the study, the opening of channels of communication and laying of groundwork
for future collaboration was worthwhile.
First Aid (IS)
Following our 2005 field season, we were aware of the distinct lack of medical care available
in Ghur Province in particular, and Afghanistan as a whole. Given the remote terrain we were
planning to survey in 2007, two team members completed a two-part Wilderness Medical
Training ‘Far from Help’ course, in addition to the more basic first aid training which several
other team members gained prior to the 2007 season. We travelled to Afghanistan with a
medical kit capable of treating a team of fifteen foreign and Afghan members for a month.
Given that we were unable to travel to Ghur, we shifted our resources and expertise to the
Museum and provided an informal ‘clinic’ for Museum staff. Out of a total workforce of 61,
43 Museum employees were treated. Five Museum staff family members were also brought in
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MGAP07 End of Season Report
for treatment and an eight-year-old boy came to our guesthouse with a first degree burn to the
neck.
The conditions treated included:
 Three confirmed tuberculosis cases (sputum tests were carried out at the Italian
Hospital in Kabul)
 One confirmed case of malaria (also verified at the Italian Hospital)
 Chronic pain, generally triggered and maintained by dehydration and physical
labour
 A range of psychological disorders, usually in combination with physical injuries;
these probably reflect Afghanistan’s tragic recent history.
Three museum staff, including one woman, were also trained in basic First Aid. Two
medical kits (without prescription drugs) were donated to the Museum, as were a variety of
dietary supplements.
Murad Khane (PC)
Our illustrator spent several days working on the Murad Khane Regeneration Programme, at
the invitation of Rory Stewart and Andre Ullal of the Turquoise Mountain Foundation
(TMF).10 Murad Khane was a vibrant commercial and trading centre in the middle of late
eighteenth-century Kabul, but it has since fallen into disrepair and many of its buildings are
on the verge of collapse.
Work focussed on recording decorated architectural features. Two wooden columns
belonging to the collapsed second storey of the Double Column Serai were traced onto plastic
at a scale of 1:1. Details of the eight standing columns on the ground floor were traced, with
the help of Architect Abdallah and Translator Ayub (Fig. 9). Tracings of parts of the plaster
mouldings and a moulded plaster fireplace in the Sayeed Hashim Serai were also made. Once
complete, these drawings will form part of the TMF’s documentation of this long-neglected
part of Kabul’s historic city.
Presentations
Two public lectures were given during our stay in Kabul – the first, at the British Embassy,
detailed our 2003 and 2005 fieldwork at Jam; a shorter version of this lecture, translated into
Dari, was recorded for the Toward Open University series and broadcast on Afghan television
on 18th July.
Conclusions
Despite this season’s difficulties, we successfully completed several of our project aims, and
undertook other important work. The seminars in Kabul University, publication of the
educational booklets and the televised lecture have made a significant contribution towards
increasing public awareness of Afghanistan’s medieval Islamic history and archaeology. Our
work at Bala Hissar has documented the extent of the damage to the site, and will provide a
useful introduction to any further exploration of the archaeological remains at the site.
Similarly, our work at the Kabul National Museum has provided important training for the
Museum’s staff and documentation of some of its objects. It is regrettable that we were
unable to travel to Ghur to undertake our primary project goals, but we hope that an
opportunity will arise in the future to continue our research there.
10
www.turquoisemountain.org
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Acknowledgements
The 2007 season was funded by generous grants from the Barakat Trust, the British Embassy
in Kabul, the Cary Robertson Fund of Trinity College, Cambridge, La Trobe University, the
Lonely Planet Foundation, the Oriental Studies Faculty of the University of Cambridge, the
Seven Pillars of Wisdom Trust and the Van Berchem Foundation. Dr Gascoigne’s on-going
study of medieval ceramics is funded by the Isaac Newton Trust.
As ever, none of our work would have been possible without the cooperation and
assistance of the Afghan authorities and our colleagues in NAIA. We are particularly grateful
to his Excellency, Mr Khurram, Mr Omar Sultan and Mr Mohammed Zia Afshar (Ministry of
Information and Culture), Researcher Mh. Nader Rassoli, Assistant Senior Researcher Mir
Abdul Rawof Zakir and Najeeb Ahmed Sidiqi (NAIA), Mr Masoudi and the staff of the
Kabul National Museum, Prof. Ashraf and the staff of Kabul University and Prof. Yama and
the staff of Afghan Radio Television.
We are also grateful to the following people and organisations for their support, advice
and / or hospitality:
- Prof. Graeme Barker and Ms Sara Harrop, University of Cambridge
- Lyall Crawford, the Australian Embassy in Kabul
- Haidar Jailani and the staff of Kabul Lodge
- Malcolm Jardine and Ahmed Zia Zaher, the British Council in Kabul
- Anne Randall Johnson and the staff of Afghanaid
- David Jurie and the staff of Délégation archéologique française en Afghanistan (DAFA)
- Jolyon Leslie, Aga Khan Trust for Culture
- Alex Hill, Natalie Maglio and Daud Akbary, British Embassy in Kabul
- Prof. Tim Murray and Dr Phillip Edwards, La Trobe University
- Ana Rodriguez and Khairullah, Society for the Preservation of Afghanistan’s Cultural
Heritage (SPACH)
- Rory Stewart and Andre Ullal, Turquoise Mountain Foundation
- Warwick Ball, Nancy Dupree, Robert Kluijver and Jonathan Lee
Figures:
Fig. 1 – seminar attendees, Kabul University
Fig. 2 – measured sketch plan of Bala Hissar trenches
Fig. 3 – Wall 6 in Trench 3, Bala Hissar
Fig. 4 – ceramics from Bala Hissar
Fig. 5 – Kandahar ceramics in the Kabul National Museum
Fig. 6 – sketch plan of gravestones in the Kabul National Museum
Fig. 7 – Haji Naqshband Rajabi tracing Gravestone 4, Kabul National Museum
Fig. 8 – conservation work, Kabul National Museum
Fig. 9 – illustration of one of the carved columns from the Double Column Serai, Murad
Khane
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Appendix 1: Bala Hissar ceramics data
Trench
Sherds collected
Wares present
Main and earliest date
8
27
Modern white tiles; ‘Istalif’
C19-20; C17-18 well
ware; imported blue-and-
represented; a few pre-
white porcelain; black-on-
Islamic sherds
turquoise underpainted ware;
blue-and-white underpainted
ware (both fritware and claybased); monochrome yellow
and turquoise glazed wares;
splash-rim red-slip ware;
coarse wares
1
9
Monochrome green glazed
C19-20; C17-18; a couple
ware; splash-rim red-slip
of pre-Islamic sherds
ware; monochrome turquoise
glazed fritware; blue-andwhite underpainted ware;
coarse wares
2
72
Modern, imported and
C19-20; C17-18 also well
imitation porcelains; blue-
represented; C10-12
and-white underpainted
moulded ware.
fritwares; yellow, green and
turquoise monochrome glazed
wares; black-and-blue
underglaze painted ware;
‘Istalif’ ware; splash-rim redslip ware; moulded ware.
3
5
Modern white tiles; ‘Istalif’
C19-20
ware; yellow monochrome
glazed ware
4
3
‘Istalif’ ware; coarse wares
C19-20; a single preIslamic sherd
5
5
Modern white tiles; modern
C19-20; C17-18
European porcelain; splashrim red-slip ware; blue-andwhite underpainted fritware
10
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MGAP07 End of Season Report
Trench
Sherds collected
Wares present
Main and earliest date
6
18
Modern white and pink tiles;
C19-20; some C17-18
modern porcelain plumbing
pipe; imported incised
porcelain; blue-and-white
underpainted fritware;
monochrome yellow glazed
ware; blue and black
underpainted ware; ‘Istalif’
ware; splash-rim red-slip ware
7
8
Modern white tiles; imported
C19-20; C17-18
blue-and-white porcelain;
blue-and-white underpainted
ware
N spoil
19
heaps
Modern porcelain;
C19-20; C17-18 present,
monochrome yellow and
also a single pre-Islamic
turquoise glazed wares; blackon-turquoise underpainted
ware; ‘Istalif’ ware; blue and
white underpainted fritware;
coarse wares
General
pick-up
12
Modern porcelain; ‘Istalif’
C19-20; also pre-Islamic
ware; monochrome green
glazed ware; splash-rim redslip ware; coarse wares
including handmade sherd
Table 2: summary of ceramic data from Bala Hissar
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