Mundigak

Mundigak, in Kandahar, Afghanistan, is an archaeological site in Kandahar province in Afghanistan. It's situated c. 55 km northwest of Kandahar near Shāh Maqsūd, on the upper drainage of the Kushk-i Nakhud River.

Mundigak has small amounts of Indus Valley Civilization material. This material consists in part of ceramic figurines of snakes and humped bulls, similar to those found at other Indus valley sites. ^[1]

An extensive series of mounds marking the site of a town. The chronology is still uncertain, but it has tentatively been divided seven main periods with many subdivisions. The main period seems to be Period IV, which saw a massive rebuilding after an earlier destruction. Both the "palace" and the "temple" and possibly the city walls as well date from this period. Another destruction layer and a marked ceramic change indicate a period of abandonment between IV and VC, followed by a period of further building and construction of new monuments, including the "massive monument". Periods VI & VII saw only periodic occupation on a small scale.

Collection:

• BIAS & DAFA - shers;
• Kabul Museum & Musée Guimet - excavated material.

Field-work:

• 1951-58 Casal, DAFA - excavasions.

References

• Archaeological Gazetter of Afghanistan / Catalogue des Sites Archéologiques D'Afghanistan, Volume I, Warwick Ball, Editions Recherche sur les civilisations, Paris, 1982.