F. Khan, J.R. Knox, K.D. Thomas, C.A. Petrie & J.C. Morris (edited by C.A. Petrie). Sheri Khan Tarakai and early village life in the borderlands of northwest Pakistan.

Dennell, Robin

F. KHAN, J.R. KNOX, K.D. THOMAS, C.A. PETRIE & J.C. MORRIS (edited by C.A. PETRIE). Sheri Khan Tarakai and early village life in the borderlands of northwest Pakistan. xxxii+646 pages, 279 illustrations, 90 tables. 2010. Oxford & Oakville (CT): Oxbow; 978-1-84217-396-1 hardback 40 [pounds sterling].

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No part of the British Empire inspired more respect, fear, love and loathing than the borderlands of what is now Pakistan with Afghanistan. Although today north-west Pakistan is regarded as one of the most dangerous places on earth, conditions were more benign in the 1980s and early 1990s (as in Pakistan generally), and British archaeologists were able to work for the most part without undue difficulty, the reviewer included. Much of this work was facilitated and guided by Bridget and the late Raymond Allchin from Cambridge. One team, led by Farid Khan from Peshawar University (and a Cambridge graduate), Bob Knox from the British Museum and Ken Thomas from University College London, conducted a lengthy campaign of fieldwork (1985-2001) in the Bannu District in the North West Frontier Province (now Kyber-Pakhtunkhwa), looking at the early development of settled life in the area. Little is known about this in the borderlands of the Indus civilisation, or about the connections and influences that may have existed between the Iranian Hateau, Central Asia and the north-western edge of the Indian subcontinent. Past attempts have moved from simple (and naive) unilinear schemes (defined by pottery types) that led uniformly and inexorably to the Indus Valley civilisation, to emphasising instead the diversity of local traditions. Hard field data is lacking, however, as many surveys have been cursory, and few sites have been excavated. The one well-known exception is the site of Mehrgarh which was excavated over many years by the French Archaeological Mission to Pakistan, and which shows a long sequence (6000 to 2000 BC) of settled village-farming life. To this evidence, we can now add the evidence presented in this monograph, and specifically the sequence of material excavated at Sheri Khan Terakai.

The volume contains 13 chapters. Chapters 1 and 2 provide thorough overviews of past research into early village life in the north-western borderlands of South Asia, and situate the academic context of the project. Chapter 3 is excellent on the physical and human factors affecting farming and pastoralism. Of these, rainfall is the most critical as the Bannu area lies on the edges of the two main weather systems of western and southern Asia--the Mediterranean one from the west, and the Indian summer monsoon from the east. Rainfall is therefore erratic, and both floods and droughts occur. Consequently, crop farming is inherently risky, as the long-term monthly average rainfall can fall in a single day, and local methods rely heavily upon pastoralism, and complex methods of buffering risk by social networks. Chapters 4-9 form the bulk of the volume and meticulously present the evidence from Sheri Khan Terakai (SKT): the excavations of 1986-1990 (chapter 4); the ceramics (5), the lithics (6) and the small finds (7), of which the most visually striking are the human and animal terracotta figurines. Chapter 8 deals with the biological data. The botanical remains show that barley was the dominam crop, with much less evidence of wheat. Small grain stores of unbaked clay were common in households. There were also seeds of wild plants that may have been weeds or eaten as foods. Impressions on burnt clay show that mats and baskets were common, and made in the same way as local modern examples. As might be expected, the animal remains show a preponderance of cattle and sheep and goat, but wild animals such as gazelle and wild equines were also important. Cattle and caprines were probably kept for meat, milk (particularly for caprines), but also for their dung, which is crucial as a fuel source (as today) in an area where wood is too scarce to be used for burning. Chapter 9 considers the chronology of the site. This is based on numerous radiocarbon samples that show that the site was primarily occupied from c. 3800 to 2900 BC. Chapters 10-13 conclude the volume with reviews of other early village sites in the Bannu Basin and those on the adjacent Gomal Plain and ends with two overview chapters: on ceramic and lithic production at the time of Sheri Khan Tarakai, and on SKT and early village life in the western part of Southern Asia. For those still hungry for more, there are four appendices. So, what does all this tell us? Mainly, that SKT is a tale of 'ordinary people living in a relatively small village' of perhaps a few hundred people who grew cereal crops, kept herds of cattle and sheep and goats, made and used a range of pottery, chipped and ground stone implements, mats and baskets. Apart from the absence of metal, this was a lifestyle still familiar to observers in the 1960s. Although the SKT's inhabitants' lives were overwhelmingly local, they were conscious of a wider world. If this sounds mundane, it is only because most village life is mundane.

This is a magnificent volume, and Oxbow Books must be congratulated for producing one of this size and quality for only 40 [pounds sterling]. Although it is not for the faint-hearted, and only a few with expert knowledge are likely to read it, monographs of this type are the foundation blocks of what we know about the past. Knox and Thomas in particular should be congratulated for their thoroughness, perseverance and tenacity in seeing this project through over a 25 year period. This volume is a worthy addition to our knowledge of early South Asian prehistory.

ROBIN DENNELL

Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield, UK

(Email: r.dennell@sheffield.ac.uk)