The catalogue of coins discovered during the excavations at Barikot in the Swat Valley of Pakistan from 1984 to 2022 has been published by Ehsan Shavarebi, with contributions from Luca Maria Olivieri, through the Austrian Academy of Sciences Press. The excavations conducted by the Italian Archaeological Mission in the Swat Valley and at the Barikot site in the mid-1980s revealed multiple settlement phases, spanning from the prehistoric period to the Islamic era.
Approximately 500 significant coins have been recovered from this site, and this work aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the development of money and coinage in the region. The coins date from the 3rd century BCE to the 12th century CE, covering the period from the Mauryan Kingdom to the Ghaznavid Empire. The majority of the coins in this collection belong to the Kushan rulers of the 4th century CE.
This book examines the historical context, typology, and metrological standards of the coins. Additionally, it compares the Barikot coinage with artifacts from Gandhara and sites along the ancient Iranian-Indian border. A notable strength of the book is the contribution of Luca Maria Olivieri, who, as the head of the Italian archaeological expedition in this region, brings firsthand expertise to the study.
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