Ganweriwala

Ganweriwal ( ), more commonly known as Ganweriwala, is an archaeological site in the Cholistan Desert of southern Punjab, Pakistan. It was one of the largest cities within the Indus Valley civilisation, one of the most extensive Bronze Age Civilisations, and is believed to have been a city centre within the Civilisation. The site was rediscovered in the 1970s by Mohammad Rafique Mughal but has not been properly excavated. Collection of surface finds and surveying of the site has shown mudbrick walls similar to those found in other Indus Valley sites, as well as unicorn figurines, a copper seal and an impressed clay tablet. The future of the site as well as any excavation work is threatened by the continuing development of the surrounding area for agricultural use as well as the construction of a road through the middle of the site. Ganweriwala is situated near the Indian Border on the dry riverbed of the Ghaggar-Hakra, now part of the vast Cholistan desert. The size of the site is a contentious issue with four different sizes having been reported at different times. The city is near equidistant from two major cities of the Indus Valley, 340 km northeast of Mohenjo-daro and 260 km southwest of Harappa. In recent times the land surrounding the site is inhospitable to people but in the time of the Indus Valley Civilisation the area was fed by the Hakra River, making the area fertile and the citizens of the area were able to grow crops and to farm animals. Ganweriwala was the 5th largest city within the Indus Valley Civilisation and is believed to have been a major centre from 2600 to 1900 BC. The Indus Valley Civilisation was a Bronze Age Civilisation which at its zenith had an estimated population of 5 million. Together with Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt, it was one of the earliest complex civilisations, and of the three, was the most extensive. Ganweriwala was one of the largest cities within the Indus Valley Civilisation but is the least explored. Ganweriwala is believed to have followed the typical Indus Civilisation town planning.