Eight New Archaeological Sites Identified Across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as Barikot Dig Expands

Overview

• Italian archaeologists working with KP authorities reported eight newly identified sites from Swat to Taxila, with excavations underway at several locations.
• At Barikot (ancient Bazira), teams unearthed remains of a small temple estimated at about 1,200 years old.
• The Barikot excavation area has been extended toward the Swat River to create a protective buffer around the temple and adjacent layers.
• In Tokardara, archaeologists documented Buddhist-period remains including multiple Buddha statues and a monumental stupa at a site understood as a monastery and place of worship.
• Preliminary studies point to continuous occupation from prehistoric through Islamic periods, including a fort believed to date to the Ghaznavid era, and the three-year project launched June 1 plans jobs and training for roughly 400 local workers after cataloging more than 50 sites to date.