PENANG, 10 July 2013 – The Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Centre for Global Archaeological Research (CGAR) has been entrusted, offered and invited to continue to conduct its scientific studies at the Kashmir Smast site.

This honour was the result of the outstanding work of a team of researchers led by the CGAR Director, Professor Dr. Mokhtar Saidin who discovered the first stone tool at the Gandharan site within the University of Peshawar (UoP) campus, Pakistan and also the 'adze' stone tool at the Kashmir Smast site. The 'adze' stone tool is believed to be more than 20,000 years old.

"The significance of this project is important because it shows the ability of USM archaeological researchers in gaining global recognition to carry out archaeological research abroad formally and systematically," said the USM Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dato' Dr. Omar Osman.

"We will continue this study with UoP, and five postgraduate students will be accepted into USM this September specially to conduct research at this site," added Omar.

This research group comprised of eight CGAR staff who have been in Peshawar working closely with nine other researchers from UoP’s Institute of Archaeology and Social Anthropology (IASA) from June 4 until July 2, as part of the Memorandum of Agreement signed between USM and UoP last April.

"In general, we managed to collect data for future studies in the one-month period there. We have conducted the magnetic anomaly mapping to determine the research potential of the Kashmir Smast Cave (The Great Cave), the Kashmir Smast monastery, the spring water tank and the great water tank sites as well as the Gandharan site within the UoP campus.

"As for me, this recognition allows us to explore the 5 square kilometer Kashmir Smast site. This site will provide an opportunity for USM researchers to conduct exploration and excavation for long-term study.

"The exploration journey of Kashmir Smast involved a four-hour walk under sweltering weather conditions reaching 50 degrees Celsius on hilly ground more than 2000 meters above sea level and it covers four sites only," Mokhtar shared this in a special press conference here today. 

"This site was chosen as a continuation of research conducted at Sg. Batu, Bujang Valley in Kedah, a place which has been frequently mentioned in various Sanskrit records and we want to do a comparison study to see how these two places are interrelated in the prehistoric human civilisation," said Mokhtar while answering questions from reporters.

All the results of the preliminary study have revealed the importance of Kashmir Smast site in the prehistoric period and early civilisation. This has led UoP to grant a more exclusive future research opportunity to USM in conducting a detailed study such as excavation at this site. --Text: Rafizah Nor Md Zain/Photo: Mohd Fairus Md Isa/Translation: Tan Ewe Hoe