Sponsored by the American Institute of Pakistan Studies with support from the US Embassy, Islamabad. In collaboration with the Department of Archaeology and Museums Ministry of Culture, Government of Pakistan.
The Cultural Heritage of Pakistan is rich and diverse, with significant potential for further research, conservation and tourism development. This conference was organized to enhance the national and international profile of Pakistan’s rich cultural heritage by bringing together US and Pakistani scholars who presented papers on a wide range of topics. Twenty-eight leading scholars from Pakistan and ten from the US were invited to present their new findings. These scholars have been involved in recent excavations and research in all major regions of Pakistan and represent all major periods in the history of the region.
Conference Overview
The main goal of the conference was to highlight the important new archaeological discoveries made over the past ten years, by both Pakistani and foreign scholars. The conference also had presentations on the state of current and new museums, and the conservation of important sites and monuments. Another important topic was on education and outreach to the general public, and the importance of cultural heritage in modern day Pakistan. Additional topics that were covered included the issues of managing cultural heritage in the face of natural disasters, such as earthquakes and floods, and man-made disasters such as bombings and attacks by people trying to destroy cultural heritage.
The major result from this conference was a renewed dialogue between archaeologists within Pakistan, and between Pakistani and US based archaeologists. Many new connections were forged and many old connections were renewed. One main message that was repeated over and over by many speakers was the need to educate the general public and policy makers in Pakistan, the US and the world in general, about the importance of Pakistan’s cultural heritage. The most urgent issue is the need to protect and conserve sites that are being destroyed by neglect or intentionally destroyed to pave way for new developments. Another important message was the need to collaborate with scholars in neighboring countries such as Afghanistan and India to share information and results of research, and to develop regional strategies for training in conservation and documentation.
Media
The entire conference was broadcast live on Radio Pakistan thanks to the keen interest of Mr. Murtaza Solangi, the Director General of Radio Pakistan. The English version of the broadcast was also dubbed with the local languages and presented with streaming video on Radio Pakistan. The entire sound recording of the conference will be archived by Radio Pakistan and used for later programs on the archaeology of various regions. Many of the major TV channels and Voice of America were also present and featured interviews with the many speakers and visitors.
Planned Publication
The conference will result in a significant edited volume that will be printed in Pakistan in order to make it available to the local schools and universities. In this way the results of the conference will be disseminated widely within the country as well as internationally.