Hathial Explained

Hathial
Map Type:Pakistan
Relief:1
Coordinates:33.75°N 72.825°W
Type:Archaeological site
Cultures:Gandhara
Designation1:WHS
Designation1 Offname:Taxila
Designation1 Criteria:iii, iv
Designation1 Date:1980
Designation1 Number:139

Hathial is an ancient archaeological site next to Bhir Mound, just south of Sirkap, in the area of Taxila in Pakistan. It is quite a large site, in which red burnished ware and various materials were discovered similar to those of Charsadda. This suggest that the establishment of the Hathial site may go back as far as 1000 BCE. The adjoining settlement of Bhir Mound was only created later, probably around 500 BCE.

The pottery found at the site has been dated to the period between 1000 BCE and 400 BCE, and thus constitute an interesting intermediary, pre-Achaemenid period, between the Late Harappan of the Indus Valley and the Early Historic period.