The Antiquities Of Sind with Historical Outline (An Old And Rare Book)

At present it is not possible to write an exhaustive monograph on the antiquities in Sind, for there are still many buried remains awaiting the pick and the shovel, and as to excavation and exploration we cannot yet write " Finis," for this class of work has but only begun in that province. Many promising sites, lighted upon more by accident than intent, have not been touched ; and, no doubt, others are still lying perdu in the sandy wastes to the east, the north-east, and in the Kairpur State. The Western Circle for Archaeology is so large, that it is difficult for the Superintendent to give more than a small moiety of his time to any one district ; nor have we had much help, in this respect, from local officials, the forbidding nature of the country, and its indifferent means of travel, not being calculated to induce any but an enthusiast to risk a possible unprofitable journey. For these reasons Sind has been to a great extent neglected, but it is to be-hoped that this state of affairs may be rectified ere long and sufficient new material gathered for a supplementary volume of even more interest and importance than the present one.

The explorations described in the following pages were made some years ago when funds for excavation purposes were very limited ; and their publication was postponed during the war, the presses being taken up fully with more urgent work. Since I retired in 1910 my successors have added to our knowledge by excavations at Sudheran-jo-dado, Thal Mir Rukan, Mirpar-Khas and Mohen-jo-dhado. I shall hope to see, in the near future, still more of this work taken in hand, for I am convinced that interesting results will reward the trouble. A further volume, more interesting than this, might well follow, which would enlarge our knowledge of Sind long before the Arab invasion but the exploration of the many sites, eminently deserving of further investigation, will require much time and money, and I would most earnestly appeal to Government to help all they can in its accomplishment before the villagers, who are fast digging out the bricks and foundations, leave not even a memory behind. A special excavation officer and staff for Sind is necessary if any real progress is to be made.

**Contents and Sample Pages**