DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.36942#0311
NAZIR KHAN
ROCK PAINTINGS AT NOKKONO GHWAND
(SWAT)
The valley of Swat is famous for its innumerable ruins of the Buddhistic
period and as a centre of Gandharan art. Especially the Italian team of
the 'IsMEO' led by Prof G. Tucci deserves the recognition for the ex-
ploration of such famous sites as eg. Butkara. The present article deals
with antiquities of this region, which were hitherto unnoticed.^
The site Nokkono Ghwand is situated above the famous Buddhist ruins
of Kafir Kot (photo 1), approached by road from Thana (Malakand
Agency) via Thana-Cherat road, through the village of Nal and by
climbing up through the Kafir Kot ruins (map 1). On top of the hills^
(which is the meaning of noMoMo g/wa%f) one looks down on the Bud-
dhist sites of Talang and Churkai in the east and the ruins of Dabar
Tangai and Guniar in the west. Here is situated a huge boulder, dam-
aged by an erosion on its eastern side, forming a shelter high enough for
a man to stand upright underneath it (photo 2).^ On the lower parts of
the ceiling of this shelter one can discern paintings executed with a
brick-red paint."* Some of them are very faint and weathered, but
others, which are depicted below,^ are quite clearly recognizable as
1 I want to express my gratitude for the support by the Italian Archaeological Mis-
sion, particularly Dr D. Facenna and N. Olivieri, who copied the paintings at the
site and executed the ink drawings of this article. The drawings of rock carvings
from the Indus valley were made by E. Sepi, Heidelberg.
2 The elevation above sea level is 4000 ft approximately.
3 The covered area measures 10 ft from north to south and 12 ft from east to west.
4 The surface of the ceiling is creamcoloured and not very smooth. The paintings
cover an area of 10 ft x 4% ft.
5 The paintings and painting groups appear on the plates in the sequence of their
213
ROCK PAINTINGS AT NOKKONO GHWAND
(SWAT)
The valley of Swat is famous for its innumerable ruins of the Buddhistic
period and as a centre of Gandharan art. Especially the Italian team of
the 'IsMEO' led by Prof G. Tucci deserves the recognition for the ex-
ploration of such famous sites as eg. Butkara. The present article deals
with antiquities of this region, which were hitherto unnoticed.^
The site Nokkono Ghwand is situated above the famous Buddhist ruins
of Kafir Kot (photo 1), approached by road from Thana (Malakand
Agency) via Thana-Cherat road, through the village of Nal and by
climbing up through the Kafir Kot ruins (map 1). On top of the hills^
(which is the meaning of noMoMo g/wa%f) one looks down on the Bud-
dhist sites of Talang and Churkai in the east and the ruins of Dabar
Tangai and Guniar in the west. Here is situated a huge boulder, dam-
aged by an erosion on its eastern side, forming a shelter high enough for
a man to stand upright underneath it (photo 2).^ On the lower parts of
the ceiling of this shelter one can discern paintings executed with a
brick-red paint."* Some of them are very faint and weathered, but
others, which are depicted below,^ are quite clearly recognizable as
1 I want to express my gratitude for the support by the Italian Archaeological Mis-
sion, particularly Dr D. Facenna and N. Olivieri, who copied the paintings at the
site and executed the ink drawings of this article. The drawings of rock carvings
from the Indus valley were made by E. Sepi, Heidelberg.
2 The elevation above sea level is 4000 ft approximately.
3 The covered area measures 10 ft from north to south and 12 ft from east to west.
4 The surface of the ceiling is creamcoloured and not very smooth. The paintings
cover an area of 10 ft x 4% ft.
5 The paintings and painting groups appear on the plates in the sequence of their
213