Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 58
Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications
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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[MARCH, 1929
correspondence of scribes and Mullahs--is a considerable place situated at the point where the three large and well-cultivated valleys of Kandag, Najigram, and Karákar, descending from the watershed range towards Buner, join and debouch on the Swat river. Where the broad spur flanking the Kandag valley on the west approaches the left bank of the river it curves round to the north-east. After descending to a low and broad saddle near the village of Guratai it rises again with bare rocky slopes and ends abruptly in a rugged isolated hill, washed at its northern foot by the river. This hill, known as Bîr-kot-ghundai ("the hill of Bir-kot "), terminates at its top in a bold rock pinnacle, with a triangulated height of 3,093 feet. Its maximum elevation above the point where the united stream passing Bir-kôt. village joins the river is close on 600 feet.
The hill is roughly crescent-shaped and falls off on its convex side towards the river with precipitous rocky slopes very difficult to climb and in places quite impracticable. On the concave side to the south the central portion of the hill is lined with unscalable crags, cul. minating in the rock pinnacle already mentioned. Towards the south-west the hill runs out in a narrow rocky-ridge, utterly bare throughout and in addition, for the last 300 feet or 80 of its height, very steep. The south-eastern extremity of tho hill which runs down towards Bîr-kót village presents a rocky crest and for the most part is also very steep. But here and there the slope affords room for small terraces, and these are covered throughout with debris from stone walls of roughly built habitations and with abundance of potsherds.
Above the highest and largest of these terraces there rises an imposing stretch of wall (Fig. 1), 12 a massively built with rough but carefully set stone slabs, to a height of close on 50 feet. Extending for a distance of about 80 yards and facing to the south-east, this wall protected the fortified top of the hilltop on that side where the natural difficulties of attack were less than elsewhere. At the same time the ground filled up behind it served to enlarge considerably the level gpace available on the top. This wall, which is clearly visible from the lands by the village and river, continues at approximately the same height to the north. It forms there a bastion-like projection, and then with a re-entering angle turns round the head of a precipitous rocky ravine which runs down to the river. From there the line of the circumvallation, less massive and less well preserved, is traceable all along tho river front. From where a small mound marks the north-western end of fairly level ground on the fortified hiil. top the wall turns for short stretches to the south and south-east. Here remains of small towers or bastions (Fig. 2) 13 e occupy projecting rocky knolls and protect that face of the top which was exposed to attack from the previously mentioned narrow ridge descending to the saddle above Gurutai. .
From the point where the wall turns to the south-east its line could be followed only for a short distance. The hill is crowned here with sheer cliffs, and no fortification was needed to make it unassailable from the plain. Here the rocky pinnacle already referred to rises steeply to a height of about 60 feet above the level plateau formed by the rest of the hilltop. The sides facing this bear remains of ancient masonry wherever there was room for walle. This and the abundant pottery debris strewing the slopes and summit clearly indicate that this steep knoll had been tumed into a kind of keep and occupied for a prolonged period.
The level ground of the circumvallated area on the top measures over 200 yards from north-west to south-east, with a maximum width of over 80 yards. Plenty of low, ruined walls cover the whole of it, marking badly decayed habitations. A mound rising to a height of about 12 feet above the bastion at the south-eastern end may hide the remains of a completely destroyed stúpa. Another and somewhat lower debris mound at the opposite northWestern extremity of the area might also be taken for a ruined stipa, but for the masses of broken pottery which lie thickly on its top and all round. Most of the decorated pieces of pottery which were picked up at this site show types which, in view of subsequent finds at approximately datable ruins of Upper Swat, can be definitely assigned to the Buddhist period.
23 a Soo plates facing p. 12 below.
