Preliminary Report of Thamuniak Broze (Chitral) Excavation 2023

Abstract

Recent archaeological excavation carried out at Thamunia Broze, a village located 20 km to the south of Chitral Town has revealed important archaeological and biological remains. The Iron Age Cemetery of Thamuniak is located to the right side of Dir-Chitral Road and is positioned on the ridge of a mound overlooking Seenkulum, (a small village located to the left side of the road) and the Chitral River. This site was reported for the first time by Giorgio Stacul in 1968 (Stacul 1969). In 2022, a team of archaeologists led by the senior author visited the village and reconfirmed the existence of Iron Age cemetery.
In 2023, the first systematic excavation at the site was carried out by Hazara University Mansehra under the directions of the principal author. A preliminary report of the excavated site is presented here.