The so-called conservation currently underway at the site violates the very first principle of archaeological preservation
- Mohenjo-Daro is falling victim to an unqualified and politically favored group whose mishandling is contributing to the site’s degradation
- Tragically, large sections of ancient city Lakhan Jo Daro, located in Sukkur, have also been lost
By Aizaz Peerzado
Every informed individual is well aware of Sindh’s historical significance, and hardly anyone remains unfamiliar with the ancient site of Mohenjo-Daro. But are you aware of the extent of threats this site currently faces? For any living nation, the preservation of its history is a foremost responsibility, and safeguarding archaeological sites is primarily the task of experts in archaeology.
Yet, not a single technical expert is posted at the Mohenjo-Daro site. The absence of qualified personnel inevitably brings damage something that anyone can reasonably infer. Today, even Mohenjo-Daro is falling victim to an unqualified and politically favored group whose mishandling is contributing to the site’s degradation, while the responsible institution remains largely inactive. It appears as though their institutional role is more aligned with facilitating destruction than ensuring preservation.
Throughout Sindh, ancient sites are being systematically encroached upon by local mafias, obscuring their original identity. However, in this write-up, I want to bring to your attention two of the most significant sites of the Indus Valley Civilization Mohenjo-Daro and Lakhan Jo Daro.
Mohenjo-Daro represents not only Sindh’s historical identity but also the existence of a highly developed urban civilization thousands of years ago, one that has no equivalent in the world. Yet today, the site’s archaeological remains await the intervention of true professionals those who not only understand its historical importance but can also devise scientifically sound solutions to its problems.
The so-called conservation currently underway at the site violates the very first principle of archaeological preservation: maintaining authenticity. Mohenjo-Daro, a city of fired bricks, is being patched with mud bricks and clay mortar, drastically altering its original appearance. Worse still, when these newly applied materials erode due to rain and salinity, they are simply replaced with new layers without any scientific consideration.
Even more damaging is the practice of discarding old debris and broken bricks onto unexplored areas of the site. This not only distorts the aesthetic and structural authenticity of the site but also compromises future archaeological investigations. Once such fill material is dumped over undisturbed layers, the archaeological integrity and research value of those layers is severely diminished.
Through unskilled repairs and reckless interventions, the site’s visible remains are being systematically destroyed. No strategic planning has been implemented for rainwater management, despite the damage monsoons cause each year. Instead of forming expert teams from outside or calling in seasoned archaeologists to secure the site’s deteriorating structures, the authorities launched a month-long excavation project to locate the city’s outer wall an effort of questionable necessity, given that past experts had already studied this matter.
Preserving the crumbling structures should have been the priority. Yet, archaeology officials have chosen spectacle over substance. Anyone with a critical eye can see who is responsible for this state of affairs. All that’s required is genuine interest in these sites and a real understanding of our history something only a few individuals truly possess today.
Now consider Lakhan Jo Daro, located in Sukkur, spread over fifty acres. This site, which has been subject to even more excavation campaigns than Mohenjo-Daro, is now referred to as an industrial zone. Tragically, large sections of this ancient city have been lost. Rather than removing the encroachments, the site saw further excavations in 2017, 2020, and most recently in May 2025. Except for a brief 2017 project report uploaded to the institution’s Facebook page, no other reports from these excavations have been published in any journal or archaeological magazine.
The real question is: should limited excavations be carried out on what’s left of the site, or should the focus be on removing encroachments and preserving what’s still intact? That is my question to the responsible department.
Is it more important to carry out questionable excavations and install solar-powered ACs in rest houses or to ensure the preservation of endangered remains? This pattern of action (or inaction) extends across all of Sindh, where archaeological sites face daily encroachment, yet the department seems to have conveniently forgotten its core duties.
What good are excavation projects when they don’t even result in published reports? This isn’t just administrative apathy; it’s historical injustice.
Mohenjo-Daro and Lakhan Jo Daro are not mere ruins. They are living testimonies of Sindh’s intellectual, philosophical, and artistic advancement. When such sites are handed over to unqualified individuals driven by vested interests and crony appointments.
Read: Historical sites of Sindh in a state of disrepair
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Aizaz Peerzado is resident of Village Balhreji near Mohen Jo Daro, District Larkano Sindh. He has graduated in Archaeology and currently is doing M.Phil. on fast vanishing heritage sites in the province
