Discovering the Past: Harappa Museum's

Collection

By

Usman Ghani

Roll No.

01-2325-MPM

Department of Archeology,University of Punjab

Harappa Museum

Harappa Museum is an archaeology museum based in Harappa, Punjab, Pakistan. It is

located about 7 kilometers from Harappa railway station, and is 33 km (20.5 mi) west
of Sahiwal.

Founded in 1926 as a small site museum, it shifted to its present building in 1967
which was constructed by the Government of Pakistan.

Harappa

Harappa is an archaeological site in Punjab, Pakistan, about 24 km (15 mi) west of

Sahiwal.The Bronze Age Harappan civilisation, now more often called the Indus
Valley Civilisation, is named after the site, which takes its name from a modern
village near the former course of the Ravi River, which now runs 8 km (5.0 mi) to the
north.

Historic Background

Indus Valley civilization

The Indus Valley civilization was a Bronze Age civilization which lasted from 3300
BCE to 1500 BCE in regions now watered by the Indus River and its tributaries
Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej, and Beas. More than four hundred of its sites have been
discovered so far, with Harappa and Mohenjo-daro being its major urban centres. It is
also known as the Harappan civilization, after its type site Harappa.

Early discoveries

The ancient mounds of Harappa were first visited by Charles Masson in 1826 who
went on to describe them in his book Narrative of Various Journeys in Balochistan,
Afghanistan and The Punjab. Alexander Burns in then visited the site in 1831.
Alexander Cunningham, who went on to become the founder and director general of
the Archaeological Survey of India in 1861, made two trips to the site in 1853 and
1856, and estimated the perimeter of the entire site to be around 3 km (5 km if the
adjacent fields were taken into consideration). He found out that some of the mounds
had been dug up, and the bricks were being used for the construction of the Lahore–
Multan railway line.

The first excavations

The Archaeological Survey of India formally sent out archaeologists to investigate the
site (as well as the one at Mohenjo-Daro) in the early 20th century. Daya Ram Sahni
conducted the first excavations at the site from 1921 to 1925. Another round of
excavations took place under Madho Sarup Vats from 1926 to 1934. K. A. Nilakanta
Sastri led another round in 1937. Trenches were laid on the site between 1944 and
1946 by Mortimer Wheeler.

Post-Independence

After the Partition of India, Dr. Mohammad Rafique Mughal conducted excavations
at Harappa in 1966, further augmenting the information available about it. On 26
March 1967, the museum was shifted to its current building inaugurated by the
Minister for Education, Health, Labour, and Social Welfare, Kazi Anwarul Haque.
From 1986 to 2001, the American archaeological mission carried out the Harappa
Archaeological Research Project at the site in collaboration with the Department of
Archaeology and Museums, Government of Pakistan, with George F. Dales serving as
one of the co-directors.

Type of Museum

Harappa Museum is an Archaeological museum and also a Site museum.

Foundation of Museum

The foundation of the museum was laid by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Zulfikar
Ali Bhutto, in the early 1970s. The museum was subsequently inaugurated in 1978.
Inaguration was done by Kazi Anwar-ul-Huque.

Architect of Museum

The Harappa Museum, was designed by architect Nayyar Ali Dada. Nayyar Ali Dada
is a prominent Pakistani architect known for his work in preserving and promoting the
cultural heritage of Pakistan.

Organizational Structure

Mr. Muhammad Hassan is the Director of Museum.

Mr. Ahmad Nawaz Tipu is the current curator of Harappa Museum.
Mr. Norman is the security Head of Harappa Museum.
Mr. Shahid is the attendent working in galleries.

Galleries and Collections

The museum consists of two galleries containing various artifacts that reveal the
evolution and development of the arts, crafts, and technology of the Indus Valley
Civilization. There are thirty showcases on display currently. Some of the objects
include ones made from copper and bronze, terracotta figurines, toys, skeletons, and
everyday items made from ivory, shell, clay, stone age tools.

Library

There is a library present in Hapappa Museum but sadly that library is not affiliated
with Harappa Museum. The library is affiliated with the American Laboratory which
Is present in Museum.
Comparative analysis with a Modern Museum building

If we try to do a comparative analysis of Harappa Museum building with a Modern

Museum building we can learn what this museum lacks compare to a modern
Museum

 The very first thing is the Parking area which is present in Harappa Museum.
 Ticket counter is available.
 There is no cloak Room present in Harappa Museum.
 Orientation space is also unavailable.
 Auditorium is present which also serves a Audio & Visual room for Museum
building.
 Security office is present.
 Canteen is present along with The Gifts Shop.
 Public Washrooms are also available.
 Lush green lawns are present around the museum.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Harappa Museum like other museums also face some major issues.
Harappa Museum has only two galleries as of now because the space for the museum
building is low.
Like other Museums harappa museum also faces funds scarcity issue and there is
issue of man power as well.
Museum doesn't have any Museo buses for the exhibition of artifacts on far flung
areas.

Cons
The Galleries/space issue of Harppa museum is currently in the solving phase
because of the additional museum building which is built along side the main
Museum Building.
Providation of Museo buses helps in promoting the heritage so there is need for those
as well.
Government needs to provide ample funds for the expansion of Museum Building and
to hire more staff for Proper management.

Conclusion

Since Harappa Museum is centred around Indus Valley Civilization there is need of
promotion of Harappa museum to public so that IVC became more prominate like
other major civilization like Egyptian Civilization.
Government needs to provide ample funds for the Museum and also see if the Fund is
properly utilized for the welfare of Museum Building or the objects and artifacts
present in it.
The prohibition of taking photos of the objects also needs to be removed as well since
the objects which are displayed are not just for shows they needs to be studied as well
by different scholars and students and by doing so there is high chances of Museum
promotion as well by social media platforms.