Mehrgarh

Mehrgarh

Ruins of houses at Mehrgarh, Balochistan
Mehrgahr Location within the Pakistani province of Balochistan Show map of Balochistan, Pakistan Mehrgahr Location within Pakistan Show map of Pakistan Mehrgahr Mehrgahr (South Asia) Show map of South Asia
Alternative name	Mehrgahr, Merhgarh, Merhgahr
Location	Balochistan, Pakistan
Region	South Asia
Coordinates	29°23′N 67°37′E / 29.383°N 67.617°E / 29.383; 67.617
History
Founded	c. 7000 BCE
Abandoned	c. 2600 BCE
Periods	Neolithic
Site notes
Excavation dates	1974–1986, 1997–2000
Archaeologists	Jean-François Jarrige, Catherine Jarrige (archaeologist)
Followed by: Early Harappan period

Mehrgarh is a Neolithic archaeological site (dated c. 7000 BCE – c. 2500/2000 BCE) situated on the Kacchi Plain of Balochistan in Pakistan.^[1] It is located near the Bolan Pass, to the west of the Indus River and between the modern-day Pakistani cities of Quetta, Kalat and Sibi. The site was discovered in 1974 by the French Archaeological Mission^[2] led by the French archaeologists Jean-François Jarrige and Catherine Jarrige. Mehrgarh was excavated continuously between 1974 and 1986,^[3] and again from 1997 to 2000.^[4] Archaeological material has been found in six mounds, and about 32,000 artifacts have been collected from the site. The earliest settlement at Mehrgarh, located in the northeast corner of the 495-acre (2.00 km²) site, was a small farming village dated between 7000 BCE and 5500 BCE.