Balochistan Archaeology: Pioneering French Researcher Dies

Among his achievements were the archaeological excavations at Miri Qalat and Shahi Tump.

Renowned archaeologist Dr Roland Besenval, who founded the French Archaeological Mission in Makran, Balochistan in 1986, passed away in Tajikistan on September 29.

A researcher and director at Archaeology of Central Asia, Dr Besenval conducted several archaeological expeditions in Balochistan for two decades. Among his achievements were the archaeological excavations at Miri Qalat and Shahi Tump.

In addition, he established a chronology from the 4th millennium to nineteen hundred BC. He published several articles and monographs on the archaeology of Balochistan and supervised a number of MPhil and PhD scholars on the archaeology of Makran. He presented his research on Balochistan at national and international conferences.Dr Besenval conducted numerous archaeological explorations and excavations in the Middle East and Central Asia, especially in Iran, Oman, Yemen, Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 5th, 2014