Rare Coins and Lapis Lazuli Discovered at UNESCO-Listed Bhir Mound near Taxila
- Inarch Center
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
ISLAMABAD — In what is being hailed as the most significant discovery at the site in a decade, archaeologists in Pakistan have unearthed rare decorative stones and ancient coins at the UNESCO-listed Bhir Mound near the historic city of Taxila. These finds offer a rare glimpse into the earliest urban settlements of the ancient Gandhara civilization.
A Bridge to the 6th Century BC The excavation team, led by Aasim Dogar, the deputy director of the Punjab Department of Archaeology, recovered fragments of lapis lazuli dating back to the 6th century BC. According to the sources, the presence of this deep-blue, semi-precious stone is a vital indicator of ancient long-distance supply chains, specifically linking Taxila to Badakhshan in present-day Afghanistan.
"The decorative stones are lapis lazuli, a prized semi-precious stone, while the coins belong to the Kushan period,” Mr. Dogar said.
The Legacy of the Kushan Dynasty In addition to the stones, experts discovered rare bronze coins from the 2nd century AD. Detailed numismatic analysis conducted by specialists from the University of Peshawar confirmed the coins bear the image of Emperor Vasudeva, recognized as the last of the "great Kushan rulers".
The coinage is particularly notable for its iconography:
Obverse: Depicts Emperor Vasudeva in Central Asian attire.
Reverse: Features a female religious deity, illustrating the religious pluralism and the blending of various theological traditions that defined the Kushan era.
Taxila’s Cultural Zenith The sources highlight that these discoveries affirm Taxila's status as a major administrative, commercial, and intellectual center during the Kushan period (1st to 3rd centuries AD). Under the patronage of emperors like Kanishka the Great, the region became a hub for Gandharan art a unique synthesis of Greek, Roman, Persian, and Indian traditions.
“Under emperors such as Kanishka the Great, Taxila emerged as a major administrative, commercial, and intellectual centre,” Mr. Dogar said.
The artifacts were specifically located within a residential area on the northern side of the archaeological remains, identified as the B-2 trench. Malik Tahir Suleman, a renowned numismatist, noted that such coins reflect the empire's vast trade networks, which included links to Roman markets.
These discoveries not only push forward the material narrative of ancient Gandhara but also underscore the multicultural and economic sophistication of South Asian history.
To understand the importance of these finds, imagine the Bhir Mound as an ancient international airport's lost-and-found bin; discovering lapis lazuli and Roman-linked coins is the modern equivalent of finding a foreign passport and high-value currency, proving just how interconnected and "globalized" this city was thousands of years ago.
Sources:
Editor: Sachin Singh Jadoun, M.A in Archaeology
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