Mapping history in uncharted waters.

The Maritime Archaeology and Heritage Institute (MAHI) is a non-profit, autonomous research organisation dedicated to the investigation and preservation of maritime cultural heritage in the Western Indian Ocean.

Based in Pakistan, MAHI is led by international experts in the fields of maritime archaeology and cultural heritage management, who bring with them decades of operational experience on cultural heritage projects in the Indian Ocean and Asia-Pacific regions.

The exploration and study of maritime archaeological sites requires highly specialised technical and professional skills in every stage of investigation, from initial archaeological and geophysical surveys, to more complex documentation techniques in terrestrial and underwater environments, to the conservation, interpretation and management of new discoveries for a diverse audience. As such research has not previously been undertaken in Pakistan, MAHI aims to draw on a broad network of multidisciplinary regional and international experts to deliver on its research objectives.

INTRODUCTION

MISSION STATEMENT

To acknowledge and cultivate the interconnectedness of the peoples, cultures, and shared maritime heritage of the Western Indian Ocean region;

To research, record and protect the threatened underwater, coastal and terrestrial maritime heritage of the region;

To engage and educate the public by highlighting and interpreting the rich maritime history of the region;

To develop initiatives that support sustainable goals within local communities that include heritage conservation, environmental protection, responsible tourism and the growth of blue economies;

To build relationships between local, regional, and international institutions to facilitate collaborative research and publication;

To advocate, inform and make recommendations to governments and relevant organisations on matters relating to best practices and policies for the protection of maritime heritage;

To support the aims, rules and articles of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage and the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).

Above: A maritime archaeologist cleaning a submerged fortification

Overleaf: Archaeological investigations in the Indus Delta

Despite Pakistan’s strategic location in the Western Indian Ocean and rich maritime history, little to no underwater archaeological research has been carried out to date, neither along its 700km+ coastline, nor in the five major rivers that span the entire length of the country.

There is immense scope for maritime archaeological exploration in Pakistan, given the pivotal role its coastline has played in international maritime trade networks throughout history. This dates back at least to the Indus Civilisation (3rd millennium BC), which is likely the region of Meluhha that engaged in exchange and trade with Mesopotamia, and continues up to the port established on the Indus Delta (4th century BC) by Alexander the Great, through the pre-Islamic and Islamic trade in the Western Indian Ocean from the mercantile stronghold of Debal (1BC-13th century AD), to trade between the Mughal Empire and the East India Company, links between the Makran coast and the Omani Sultanate, extending into the British Colonial period itself. Evidence in the form of shipwrecks, cargo, or harbor structures is so far entirely unexplored.

Pakistan also has rich maritime traditions in terms of locally built and indigenous watercraft as well as associated maritime practices, including fishing, sail-making and navigation.

As MAHI is the first organisation in Pakistan dedicated to the exploration of maritime archaeology, we wanted our logo to reflect the millennia-old heritage and traditions associated with the mighty Indus River and its delta. The image of the boat has been derived from a moulded terra cotta tablet depicting a flat-bottomed Harappan boat, from 2500-1750 BCE. The boat has a large double rudder and the famous disha-kakka or land finding birds, which were an essential part of navigation in the Indus region. The Mohenjo Daro seal is also a gateway to exploring Meluhha, the maritime province of the Indus Valley Civilisation, and its trade links with Mesopotamia.

SCOPE IN PAKISTAN

OUR TEAMHeba Hashmi (Co-founder/CEO, MAHI) is a Maritime Archaeologist and Heritage Manager, with 7 years experience of working in heritage management in Pakistan. After completing her MA in Cultural Heritage Studies/Managing Archaeological Sites from University College London in 2014, she worked as Assistant Director at the Endowment Fund Trust for Preservation of the Heritage of Sindh, and was actively involved in documentation projects across the province. In 2015, she began working as Heritage Coordinator at the Aga Khan Cultural Service - Pakistan, and later as Project Development Officer at the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in Geneva, a role which involved coordinating the Silk Roads Responsible Tourism Initiative in Gilgit Baltistan and Chitral.

In 2019, Heba received her fieldwork training certificates in Maritime Archaeology from the Balkan Heritage Field School in Nessebar, Bulgaria, the International Center for Underwater Archaeology in Zadar, Croatia and the Nautical Archaeology Society, UK.

Amer Bazl Khan (Co-founder/Director, MAHI) is a Maritime Archaeologist with over 15 years of experience in Australia and the broader Asia-Pacific region. Prior to moving back to Pakistan, Amer was the Principal Archaeologist for the State of Queensland at the Government Department of Environment and Science, where he led the Department’s maritime and terrestrial archaeology teams responsible for the administration of State and Commonwealth heritage legislation. Amer has worked on numerous maritime archaeological projects in Australia and the Asia Pacific region, including working with UNESCO to develop regional capacity for the management of underwater cultural heritage.

Amer has a Masters of Arts Degree in Maritime Archaeology from Flinders University in Australia and a Bachelor of Science Degree from Yale University in the US. He is also an Adjunct Research Associate with the Department of Archaeology at Flinders University.

Heba HashmiCEO

Amer Bazl KhanDirector

CORE COMPETENCIES

Historical and Archival

Research

Land and Underwater Archaeological Investigations

Archaeological Education and

Training

Community Consultation and

Oral Histories

Cultural Heritage Impact

Assessments

Conservation Management

Plans

Historical GIS and Remote

Sensing

Heritage Trails and Tourism

Planning

Vernacular craft at Abdul Rehman Goth in Sindh

Above: Ongoing excavation in the citadel of Banbhore

Below: Three-sided moulded tablet, Mohenjo Daro (2500-1750 BCE)

FB.COM/MAHI.ORG.PK

@MAHI.ORG.PK LINKEDIN.COM/COMPANY/

MAHI-ORG-PK

INFO@MAHI.ORG.PK

MAHI.ORG.PK

Copyright © 2021 Maritime Archaeology and Heritage Institute