Think of Punjab and images flare-up in mind. The land where the first civilised man trod to earth. “Historically the most important province of India”. Originally known as Sapt-Sindhu it was intersected by seven perennial rivers joined by innumerable tributaries, which spread juicy carpets of alluvial soil on its vast plains. Destruction, occupation, assimilation and then sphinx like rebirth with enriched Punjabi ethos, such were the strands which got dexterously woven in the wrap and woof of the fabric which eventually evolved into a cosmic culture and gave birth to ever new civilisations.

Early man seems to have been nomadic for no habitations of the Paleolithic period have been traced so far. He was unfamiliar with agriculture and domestication of animals. He lived on fruits and roots as well as flesh of animals. He lived under shady trees and in thick bushes, terraces of rivers and caves of the mountains. Punjab was the cradle of Proto-historic culture as well. The man had progressed. They were no more hunting and fishing communities. They knew agriculture and they had fairly developed ceramic industries. Besides stone, they used copper and bronze to manufacture tools.

Thanks to its rigorous past the best of the Punjab’s historical treasure seems to lie underground. The oldest evidence of life in Punjab was found in the digs made in Soan river valley located in west Punjab. Surface finds from Soan valley (Rawalpindi district) between the Indus and the JheIum and stone tools made of quartzite, pebbles, flint and flakes of the same time that were found in the Soan valley testify to the existence of man who fashioned stone implements. According to the experts this valley pertains to the end of the first ice age and the beginning of second ice age indicative of the fact that it is almost five to six lakh years old. Similar evidence has also been found in the Shiwalik regions of Una and Hamirpur Districts of Himachal Pradesh. Some implements of early Soan culture have also been found in the vicinity of Pinjore and Chandigarh. These tools are a good indication of the human existence on the one hand and the area of their influence on the other. In fact it appears that age-old culture which emerged in this land was fairly wide spread in northern India.

The Iron Age ushered in the historical period. With the passage of time a sufficiently advanced urban civilisation had developed. Another important archeological discovery was made at Mohenjodaro in the Sind, Harrapa in West Punjab and recently at several location at Ropar district which show evidence of what has come to be know as Indus Valley Civilization. Excavation at these places gave a new insight to our ancient past and pushed back the history of Punjab to at least 3000 to 4000 B.C. if not to still earlier period. With these finds it becomes possible to be in line with the other ancient civilisations of the world.

The well planned brick buildings, the simple but utilitarian architecture, the elaborate drainage system, adequate water supply, the street lights, public baths, furniture besides cultivation, dresses, arts & crafts and toys etc. are, a few examples of the knowledge available at this stage to develop urban civilisation. These cities seem to have flourished between 2500 to 1500 B.C.

The most remarkable building at Harappa is the great Granary measuring 169 ft. by 135 ft., which comprises two similar blocks with an aisle 23-ft. wide, between them. Each block has six halls, alternating regularly with five corridors; each hall is further partitioned into four narrow divisions.

Another remarkable find, the Great Bath, is “swimming bath” on a scale, which would do credit to a modern seaside hotel. The over all dimensions of the building housing it are 180 ft by 108 ft. The actual bathing pool measures 39 ft. by 23 ft. and is situated in middle of a quadrangle having verandahs on all sides. The Harappan people had also developed an art of writing which has not been possible to decipher so far.