Charsadda — Pushkalavati Bala Hisar Extension
Achaemenid to Hindu Shahi (600 BCE–1000 CE) Pushkalavati·Gandhara capital of Gandhara before Peshawar shift·🇵🇰 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
About
About Charsadda — Pushkalavati Bala Hisar Extension
Charsadda — Pushkalavati Bala Hisar Extension in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan is a Achaemenid to Hindu Shahi (600 BCE–1000 CE) Pushkalavati ancient-city attributed to Gandhara capital of Gandhara before Peshawar shift. Extension of Bala Hisar citadel with Peucelaotis Greek city of Nearchus. Wheeler Pushkalavati Bala Hisar mound 14 m high with Achaemenid burnished ware and Aramaic inscription.
Why it mattersKey Gandhara capital of Gandhara before Peshawar shift stratigraphic tell for Syro-Mesopotamian sequence
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Halaf–Ubaid transition
- 02Neo-Assyrian administration
Theories
- 01Pottery kiln seriation
- 02Trade route monitoring
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 600 BCE
- Period
- Achaemenid to Hindu Shahi (600 BCE–1000 CE) Pushkalavati
- Culture
- Gandhara capital of Gandhara before Peshawar shift
- Purpose
- Extension of Bala Hisar citadel with Peucelaotis Greek city of Nearchus
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c. 600 BCE
Initial construction
c. 1920 CE
Modern survey
On the ground
Structures & features
34.1600° N · 71.7400° E · 300 m · 4 mapped features
Charsadda — Pushkalavati Bala Hisar Extension — Acropolis / Citadel
citadelCitadel or high mound
34.1601° N · 71.7401° ECharsadda — Pushkalavati Bala Hisar Extension — Outer Lower Town
lower townLower walled settlement
34.1598° N · 71.7402° ECharsadda — Pushkalavati Bala Hisar Extension — Temple Precinct
templeTemple area
34.1604° N · 71.7398° ECharsadda — Pushkalavati Bala Hisar Extension — Storage Building
storageStorage
34.1596° N · 71.7399° E