Introduction:

The Department of Archaeology was established in 1962. Apart from regular BS, MA, M.Phil and Ph.D. degree programs, the Department is engaged in extensive and intensive field oriented research throughout the province. This research has added new chapters to the cultural history of Pakistan and the region. One of the major achievements of the Department has been the construction of a purpose built museum on the campus. It houses a huge collection of antiquities excavated by the staff and students at various places since its inception. The Department publishes a research bulletin (Ancient Pakistan) regularly that includes research articles and excavation reports.

Vision:

Since its establishment in 1962, the Department of Archaeology, University of Peshawar, has been imparting quality education in different fields of Archaeology to the young generation of the country. Graduates of this Department are occupying key positions in various academic and administrative institutions across the country. It also imparts research-oriented field training at different sites of the province to arouse the spirit of promoting research in the subject. The Department publishes the latest researches undertaken by the faculty in Ancient Pakistan, the internationally reputed journal of the Department. We also aim at establishing the Institute of Archaeology (or Centre of Excellence) to promote knowledge at an advanced level. The Department also trains students in co-curricular activities making them more refined and confident to take an active part in their social life.

Mission:

The Department was opened to train students for the better interest of the subject, nation and the country. We are the first to be credited for starting teaching and research in Archaeology. The first and foremost mission of the Department is to produce skilled personnel for promoting Archaeology at national and international levels.

We create sense of research amongst the students while graduating here. They get advanced training in and abroad in different fields of their interest for the promotion of knowledge in diverse areas of specialization.

The Department is also engaged in arousing awareness among the general masses to realize the status and importance of tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the country. Dissemination of relevant knowledge has greatly helped in promoting this awareness resulting in preservation of archaeological sites and monuments. Now the people are showing keen interest in reconstructing cultural heritage and ancient history of our homeland just because of the struggles of the staff and students of the Department.

The Department plays an instrumental role in promoting cultural tourism thereby accumulating foreign exchange to the government treasury. The protected monuments all over the country are frequently visited by tourists that also form a constant source of our income.

Our mission is also to strengthen political relations with the neighboring countries by interacting with them in the domain of teaching and research. We are making progress in signing research projects with the top ranking Universities and Museums of the world to delve deeper the roots of developmental pace of civilizations that flourished on this soil. We are also aiming at sharing information pertaining to our subject with the international experts through holding seminars and conferences that are attended by a large number of renowned scholars and intellectual from different countries of the world. This is our mission to generate leadership qualities among the students and scholars of the Department to vie with their counterparts in other disciplines specially designed for the purpose.

Objectives

To impart quality education in the field of Archaeology through multidisciplinary and thematic approach.
To provide skilled professionals to different institutions conducting teaching and research in the field of Archaeology and Museology.
To promote the management of cultural heritage and conservation/ reservation of cultural property.
To strengthen further national integration by mutual active participation, exchange and interaction of scholars and students of Archaeology.
To advance the concept of Environmental and Applied Archaeology for the political and economic benefits of the society.
To promote among the masses awareness of the importance of the cultural heritage and problems caused by illicit traders.
To conduct explorations, excavations, interpretation, publications, preservation and promotion of cultural heritage.
To play a major role in furthering the understanding of archaeological and historical past of Pakistan.
To develop cross-cultural contacts of Pakistan with adjoining countries of the region.

Department of Archaeology

Highlights of Department of Archaeology