Places · A guide to the archive
Investigate river change, crossings, regional names and riverside work through selected place and archaeological histories.
Start with the archaeological discussion of changing river courses, then compare the evidence used for a crossing or a regional description. A present river channel, an old route and a scientific reconstruction require different kinds of precision. These readings offer ways to ask where a claim applies without drawing a timeless river map.
An intentional selection
Learn how dated sediments distinguish an ancient river channel from a river flowing beside a Harappan settlement.
The modern town’s name and an older Indus crossing have different histories. A district record, bridge photograph and railway station help keep them distinct.
A former salt depot, a range of specialised crafts and later commemorative projects give this Jhelum-side town a history beyond the nearby mine.
Majha is a historical and cultural region associated with the Ravi–Beas tract. Its older connections across Punjab and its modern Indian administrative usage need to be read together.
Doaba is commonly identified with land between the Beas and Sutlej; its communities and connections extend beyond a simple river definition.
Pothohar’s dissected plateau differs from the image of a uniformly irrigated Punjab plain. Geography, field science and the history of Rohtas Fort reveal several ways to read its landscape.
How we use sources, explain uncertainty and correct mistakes.
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