The Indus River
The Indus River as it flows in the Bukkur Gorge between the towns of Sukkur and Rohri some 20 kilometers (km) north of the excavation areas. In the background is the temple island of Sadhbela.
Slides by the archaeologist Paolo Biagi of the Indus Valley civilization excavation sites.
Rohri Hills
The Rohri Hills as they appear along the western fringe of the plateau, facing the fertile Indus Valley, where most of thhe Harappan flint quarries and workshops have been discovered. (The shadow is from the helicopter.)
Rohri Hills
The Rohri Hills as they appear along the western fringe of the plateau, facing the fertile Indus Valley, where most of the Harappan flint quarries and workshops have been discovered (map).
Rohri Hills
The Rohri Hills as they appear along the western fringe of the plateau, facing the fertile Indus Valley, where most of the Harappan flint quarries and workshops have been discovered.
Flint Quarries
The first Harappan flint quarries here were discovered during a preliminary survey carried out in January 1986 by the writer and Prof. M.
Quarries
Around the quarries, thousands of flint artefacts were found lying on the surface. This shows that peliminary chipping of the artefacts took place on top of the mesas, or flat limestone terraces.
Flint Quarries
The presence of Harappan flint workshops in the hills close to Rohri had been discovered by Bridget Allchin in 1975. The impressive mining activity in the hills is particularly well-represented near Shadee Shaheed.
Small Quarries
Small workshops are represented by small scattered groupings of flint, including flakes, blades and sometimes cores.
Flint Cores
The cores are of a type typical for Harappan culture, both conical and elongated. The blades have been struck off with the pressure technique. This involves pressing the surface of a flint or flake with a soft-pointed instrument.
Balloon
During the surveys, a Castiglioni Brothers helium balloon was employed to take photographs from various altitudes. Thanks to this technique, 800 slides and black and white photographs were taken in five days.