Kurh’rho Project – Constitution of a unique reference collection of fish from the Indus Valley for archaeozoological studies

Introduction

The Indus River Valley was one of the major centers of development for the earliest urban societies in the Ancient World. Between 2600/2500 and 1900 BCE, the Indus civilization flourished there, characterized by planned urban development, extensive trade networks, and a diversified economy (Didier et al. 2017). While the material and commercial aspects of this civilization have been the subject of numerous studies since the 1920s, the relationships between human societies and their natural environment—particularly the riverine environment—remain insufficiently explored.

In this context, bioarchaeological approaches have gradually led to a renewed understanding of ancient subsistence economies. In particular, the study of faunal and botanical remains has highlighted the importance of agro-pastoral systems, which combine agriculture, livestock raising, hunting, and the exploitation of aquatic resources (Tengberg et al. 2022, Zahoor 2022, Mashkour et al. 2024). However, these systems often remain underrepresented in analyses due to specific methodological constraints.

The Chanhu-daro site, located in Pakistan’s Sindh Province, provides a particularly relevant setting for studying these interactions. Excavated as part of the French Archaeological Mission to the Indus Valley (MAFBI), this 3rd-millennium BCE urban site features a structured spatial layout, with residential quarters and specialized artisanal zones. The faunal assemblages recovered from the excavations reveal a diversified exploitation of animal resources, including a significant proportion of fish remains. The lack of osteological reference collections specific to species from the Indus River basin has long hindered the taxonomic identification of these remains. The Kurh’rho project specifically addresses this gap by proposing to develop a fundamental methodological tool for archaeo-ichthyological analysis.

It should also be noted in this context that a drastic decline in biodiversity in the Indus River over the past 30 years (Abro et al. 2020) has resulted in a reduction in the number of recorded fish species from 190 to approximately 44. This situation has now led to fishing pressure on a few species, such as the Kurh’rho, the Sindhi name for a species of cyprinid (Labeo rohita). It is common to see itinerant fishermen selling this fish in rural areas (Figure 1).

Therefore, the decline in aquatic biodiversity in the Indus River, as well as the lack of an osteological reference collection accessible to the scientific community at a public institution, are among the reasons that prompted us to launch the Kurh’rho project.

Scientific Context and Objectives

Recent research in archaeozoology has shown that aquatic resources play an often-underestimated role in ancient economies, particularly in riverine and deltaic environments. In the case of the Indus Valley, this issue is of particular importance, given the river’s defining role in shaping territories and ways of life.

At Chanhu-daro, fish remains account for approximately 25% of the faunal assemblage, suggesting significant exploitation of these resources. Furthermore, the co-occurrence of freshwater and marine species, evidenced notably by the study of malacofauna, indicates the existence of complex supply networks, potentially operating at different spatial scales.

Despite this quantitative significance, the study of ichthyological remains has remained marginal due to the lack of suitable comparative reference materials. The identification of fish bones relies on comparison with modern osteological collections, which allows for the establishment of precise morphological correspondences. However, for the Indus Basin, such collections were lacking, and the archaeological fish remains from Chanhu-daro could not be studied in the absence of an appropriate osteological reference collection to aid in the taxonomic identification of the remains.

In this context, the Kurh’rho project, funded by the MNHN’s 2025 ATM (Action Transversale Muséum) calls for proposals entitled “The Role of Fish in Prehistoric Subsistence in the Indus Valley, Pakistan,” led by M. Mashkour and P. Béarez, pursued several objectives:

1. Establish a reference osteological collection for fish from the Indus Basin

2. Identify the archaeo-ichthyological remains from Chanhu-daro

3. Characterize strategies for exploiting aquatic resources

4. Assess the interactions between local resources (freshwater) and marine imports

5. Contribute to a discussion on long-term biodiversity dynamics

General Overview of the Mission

The field mission took place between October 25 and November 23, 2025, in the province of Sindh, Pakistan. It was conducted in collaboration with the French Archaeological Mission of the Indus Basin (MAFBI), supported by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, the Culture, Tourism, Antiquities and Archives Department of Sindh, and local partners, notably academic institutions specializing in freshwater biology.

As part of this project, particular attention was paid to the representativeness of freshwater species, while also including marine species that may have been traded or imported in antiquity. To this end, Philippe Béarez, Marjan Mashkour and Asma Ayoob focused on collecting fish specimens from the Indus River in Sukkur, a major port and hub for fishing and fish distribution in Sindh, located on the right bank of the Indus. Before traveling to Sukkur, we also took advantage of this mission to collect a few fish from the Arabian Sea at the fish market in the port of Karachi (see Table 1).

The constitution of the reference collection was based on a targeted collection strategy: 1) surveys of local fishermen to identify exploited species; selection of several individuals per species to document morphological variability (Figures 2 à 6).

The list of collected specimens is presented in Table 1. According to a survey of fishermen and merchants, this initial collection is reasonably representative of the freshwater species found in the Indus River basin. However, it needs to be expanded in order to fully meet the needs of the archaeological analysis of the fauna. In particular, it would be necessary in the future to acquire specimens of various sizes for species that grow to large dimensions, as well as representatives of the following species: Clupisoma garua (Ailiidae), Channa marulius (Channidae), Cirrhinus mrigala (Cyprinidae), Tor putitora (Cyprinidae), Securicula gora (Danionidae).

Each specimen was processed according to a standardized protocol that included taxonomic identification, biometric measurements, photographic documentation, and the assignment of an identification code. The collection for the National History Museum of Paris is labeled with the country of origin (PK) and the MNHN collection number (ICOS). The collection for the Chanhu-daro Museum bears the field number (AAK) along with the specific number of the site’s modern osteological collection (CD-F): CD stands for Chanhu-daro and F for fauna (e.g. Figure 7 and Table 1). These data allow for the establishment of a precise reference system, usable for comparisons with archaeological remains.

The specimens were prepared using a simple but time-consuming protocol that involved cooking each fish in a large pot, removing it from the water without disturbing its shape, removing the soft tissues, and then subjecting the skeletons to a long maceration process in jars (Figure 8). The specimens were exposed to sunlight daily to ensure rapid decomposition of the remaining tissues. After about twenty days, the skeletons were rinsed with water and then dried to prevent mold growth.

A total of 52 specimens – including 42 from the Indus River and 10 from the Arabian Sea – were prepared for the National Museum of Natural History in Paris and the Chanhu-daro Museum, establishing an initial reference collection for the Indus River that is accessible to the scientific community in both France and Pakistan (Figure 9, 10a&b and Table 1).

The main outcome of the project is therefore the creation of an osteological collection of fish from the Indus River basin, which did not exist until now. It now serves as an essential tool for identifying archaeological fish remains. However, it requires the inclusion of additional species through the acquisition of specimens of various sizes and a better representation of large species. These developments will enable more refined future analyses.

Data from the Kurh’rho project confirm the importance of fish resources in the subsistence economy of Chanhu- daro, where fishing appears to be a central—rather than a marginal—component of dietary practices.

In connection with food-related and health issues, we expanded the initial project to include parasitology. We felt it was important to take advantage of this collection of fresh fish to compile an inventory of modern parasites found in fish from the Indus River, with a view to conducting research on parasitism in the Indus Valley (Figure 11). This part of the project is being integrated into a recently awarded doctoral project funded by the Eiffel Fellowship and supervised by Fabienne Audebert and Marjan Mashkour. Ultimately, this database on modern parasites may also be used for the ongoing paleoparasitological studies at Chanhu-daro.

Research Prospects

In 2027, the first archaeo-ichthyological studies will begin on the Chanhu-daro material. Species identification will ultimately make it possible to determine the fishing techniques used, seasonal patterns of exploitation, and catch areas (river, wetlands, sea). These findings will contribute to a detailed reconstruction of economic practices. Furthermore, if the presence of marine species at an inland site is confirmed by this study, it will raise questions about food exchange networks, in addition to the existing networks for stone materials, which are already well documented elsewhere (Didier et al. 2024, 2026).

Beyond archaeology, the project provides valuable data for studying biodiversity dynamics. The recent decline of fish species in the Indus River underscores the importance of having historical records to document long-term changes.

Archaeological data thus offer an essential point of comparison for understanding the evolution of ecosystems and the impact of human activities over the past five millennia.

The Kurh’rho project has opened up several avenues for further research, notably through strengthened international collaborations, particularly with the Natural History Museum in Islamabad and specialists in ichthyology (Shabir Ali Amir) and herpetology (Rafaqat Masroor). Indeed, Marjan Mashkour and Asma Ayoob, with the invaluable assistance of Professor Masroor, are currently leading a project on herpetofauna to establish an osteological collection of turtles (Figure 12). Indeed, the fauna of Chanhu-daro also contains a large number of remains of soft-shelled and terrestrial turtles. The implications of this project therefore fall within a broader perspective of studying riverine socio-ecosystems, integrating archaeological, biological and environmental data.

Conclusion

The Kurh’rho project represents a major scientific breakthrough in the study of ancient societies in the Indus Valley. By filling a critical gap – the lack of a reference collection for fish – it opens up a new field of analysis for subsistence economies in this region of the world.

Beyond its contribution to archaeology, this project illustrates the importance of interdisciplinary approaches for understanding the interactions between human societies and natural environments. In the context of a global ecological crisis, this research offers valuable insights for rethinking the relationship between resource exploitation and sustainability.

Bibliographie

Abro et al. 2020. Diversity of freshwater fish in the lower reach of Indus River, Sindh province section, Pakistan. Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology & Fisheries. 24.6:243-265

Didier A. 2017. Nouvelles recherches sur les débuts de la civilisation de l’Indus au Pakistan. Les fouilles de Chanhu-daro (Sindh). Comptes rendus de l’Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres. de Boccard, Paris, 969-1002

Didier, A., Houdas, A., Iqbal, Z., Khan, Z., Lashari, A.K., Marchand, F., Mongne, P., Quadri, Z. & Sarmiento-Castillo, D. 2026. Revisiting the chronological sequence of Chanhu-daro, Sindh, Pakistan. New data from Pakistani-French excavations 2023-24. Proceedings of the 26th International Conference of the European Society for South Asian Archaeology and Art, Leipzig, Sept. 16-20, 2024. ⟨hal-04869531⟩

Didier, A., Marchand, F. & Sarmiento-Castillo, D. 2024. Les lapidaires de Chanhu-daro (Sindh, Pakistan). Logiques productives et organisation socio-économique dans un centre urbain majeur de l’âge du Bronze en Asie du S     ud. In : C. Cheval, O. Langlois, M. Lauwers, G. Palumbi & H. Procopiou (eds.), Acteurs techniques, acteurs sociaux, des vestiges matériels à l’organisation sociale du travail, de la préhistoire à nos jours. 43e Rencontres Internationales d’Archéologie et d’Histoire de Nice-Côte d’Azur. Nice, Editions APDCA, 85-98. ⟨10.4000/14ys6⟩. ⟨hal-04724062⟩

Mashkour M., Homa Fathi H., Asma Ayoob Khiljee A.. 2024. Archaeozoological Work at Chanhu-daro in 2024. MAFBI – Mission Archéologique Française du Bassin de l’Indus. ⟨hal-04504667⟩

Tengberg, M., Mashkour, M., Debue, K., Manca, L., Zahoor, S. & Trouessart, L. 2022. Agropastoral foundations of the Indus Civilisation. Bioarchaeological and ethnobiological approaches at Chanhu-daro, Sindh, Pakistan. 25^th International Conference of the European Association for South Asian Archaeology and Art (EASAA). ⟨hal-04010649⟩

Zahoor S. 2022. Archaeozoological study of a Bronze Age (2600-1900 BC) dwelling sector at the site of Chanhu daro, Sindh (Pakistan). Mémoire de Master 2, (IMQP), (s/direction M. Mashkour)

Les auteurs/autrices

Philippe Béarez is Director of Research Emeritus at CNRS, Ichtyo-archaeologist, specialist of fish remains. He is a member of the BioArch (BioArchéologie, Interactions Sociétés Environnements) UMR 7209 Research Unit at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris. Philippe.bearez@mnhn.fr

Marjan Mashkour is Director of Research at CNRS, Archeozooologist, specialist of the Iranian Plateau and adjacent areas. She is a member of the BioArch (BioArchéologie, Interactions Sociétés Environnements) UMR 7209 Research Unit at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris. She is a member of the MAFBI team from 2017 and is responsible for archaeozoological studies of Chanhu-daro. Marjan.mashkour@mnhn.fr

Asma Ayoob is a veterinary Dr (Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences) and she will be beginning her PhD within an Eiffel Grant. She has been a member of the MAFBI Team from 2020 and works on bioarchaeological and zoological material of Chanhu-daro. asma.khiljee12@gmail.com

Fabienne Audebert is Professor at Sorbonne Université and a member of the BOREA (Biologie des Organismes Marins et Écosystèmes) UMR 7208 Research Unit at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris. She is a parasitologist, specialized in animal parasitology and working on life cycles, morphology and morphogenesis of these organismes. fabienne.audebert@sorbonne-universite.fr

Ali Lashari is an archaeologist, museologist and PhD scholar at Karachi University. He is Assistant Director (Excavations) in the Culture, Tourism, Antiquities & Archives Department (CTA&AD), Government of Sindh. He has been working with MAFBI as CTA&AD field director of Chanhu-daro since 2022.

Aurore Didier is researcher at CNRS and member of the ArScAn (Archéologies et Sciences de l’Antiquité) UMR 7041 Research Unit at the MSH-Mondes in Nanterre. She is director of the French Archaeological Mission in the Indus Basin and director of Chanhu-daro excavations since 2013 and specialist of Protohistoric South Asia, particularly Bronze Age societies in the Indo-Iranian Borderlands and Indus Civilization studies. aurore.didier@cnrs.fr

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