Mehrgarh civilisation museum to reopen this month in Quetta
A museum dedicated to Pakistan’s ancient Mergarh civilization will reopen later this month following the completion of a US-funded conservation project in the southwestern province of Balochistan, the US embassy said on Saturday.
The Melgarh Museum in Quetta houses archaeological artifacts associated with one of the earliest agricultural communities in South Asia. The restoration project, funded through the US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, is the first undertaken by the programme in Balochistan, extending its reach to all four Pakistani provinces.
US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker joined Balochistan Parliamentary Secretary Nawabzada Mir Muhammad Zarain Khan Magsi and heritage experts in Karachi on Saturday to mark the completion of the project, which involved preserving Neolithic artifacts, upgrading museum displays and training local conservation professionals. “Today, we are pleased that the Mergarh Museum of Balochistan will showcase the 8,000-year-old Mergarh civilization and many other civilizations, using America’s expertise in museums and heritage preservation,” the US Embassy said in a statement after the event.
Mehrgarh, an archaeological site on the Plains of Kutch in Balochistan, is one of the earliest known agricultural settlements in South Asia, with evidence of agriculture, livestock domestication and permanent settlements dating back thousands of years. The site provides important evidence of the transition from hunter-gatherer to permanent agricultural life, providing insight into the development of early communities in the region long before the rise of the Indus Valley Civilization.
The conservation program is being implemented in collaboration with the Sindh Exploration and Adventure Association and the Balochistan Department of Culture. According to the embassy, it involves securing ancient archaeological collections, upgrading museum collections to international standards, expanding local community outreach and training local heritage professionals to ensure long-term preservation of artefacts.
“The United States and Pakistan are working together to make real progress in protecting this extraordinary heritage,” Baker said. At a ceremony on Saturday, Baker, Magsi and program directors Dr Asma Ibrahim and Dr Kalimullah Rashaari unveiled the commemorative plaque, which will be installed at the entrance to the Quetta museum.
The embassy said the museum was expected to officially reopen later this month, but no specific date was announced.