he Treasures of Kashmir Smast:By Waleed Ziad

[Mediaman]

The Treasures of Kashmir Smast:
Interview with Ijaz Khan- "Insider's view of the ancient caves"

By Waleed Ziad





Ijaz Khan, an antiquarian and numismatist from the city of Swat in the
heartland of Gandhara, hails from a family of well known antiquities
dealers in the Northwest Frontier. Ijaz Khan is more familiar with
the finds of Kashmir Smast (see Kashmir Smast introductory article at
http://www.geocities.com/ziadnumis2/ksintro.htm) than perhaps any
other local treasure hunter, and has a wealth of knowledge of early
medieval Gandharan numismatics. Although he is in his early 30s, the
story of his life and his archaeological discoveries could be the
subject of a novel. He began collecting stone and terra cotta
artifacts from his home town at a very early age for his personal
collection, and by his teens had already established himself as a
dealer and an authority especially on Hunnic coins and antiquities.
Having visited hundreds of sites in ancient Gandhara, he believes
Kashmir Smast to be the most remarkable site he has ever
encountered. As the bronzes of Kashmir Smast have all but dried out,
dispersed around the world and mostly unrecorded, site information at
the source provides vital clues in piecing together a historical
picture of the region.

Mr. Khan's experience supports the assertion that Kashmir Smast was a
monetarily independent and politically semi-independent principality
for over 4 centuries, producing its own bronze civic currency which
did not circulate outside the caves and the adjacent valley. We also
learn that the Smast moneyors did not generally mint indigenous silver
and gold currency.

In 1992, some acquaintances from the village of Babozai had informed
Ijaz Khan that a lot of interesting coins had been discovered in the
site traditionally known as Kashmir Smast. He decided to embark upon
his first journey to the legendary cave. Since the first trip, Mr.
Khan has spent over 90 days in the cave and surrounding regions.

Ijaz Khan informs us that Kashmir Smast has been known to be a source
of antiquities for over one hundred years. However, in past, colonial
and local treasure hunters would make forays into the network of
caves, and focus on recovering only marketable silver and gold coins,
and large wooden, bronze, and stone statuettes. The silver and gold
coinage, as is typical of the region, consisted of scarce but mostly
published specimens which would have circulated in the entire North
West Frontier Province from the 3rd to the 8th centuries AD. They
were imperial Kushan, Sasanian, Gupta, and Hunnic issues. Official
excavations of the region have been conducted intermittently, but
after most of the large statuettes were relocated to the European and
South Asian museums, interest in the site waned. Ironically, the
bronze coins from the cave were almost entirely ignored, being
regarded by untrained official excavators and treasure hunters as
scrap, and were by and large left behind. Ijaz Khan during his first
trip realized that the actual treasures of the Smast were these
seemingly unimpressive bronze coins, which unlike the other specimens
from the cave region, were purely local productions, meant for
circulation only within the cave and parts of the adjacent valley.
They were the only artifacts which bore the names and images of the
long forgotten local dynasts, and provided clues regarding the
political, economic, and cultural history of the region.

The settlements built inside the cave are mostly ruined, and official
and local treasure hunters had overturned many of the structures in
hopes of locating rare antiquities. Mr. Khan believes that it is
essential to conduct even unofficial excavations without disturbing
the ruins, and takes care to record the location of pieces of note.

a. Site description



Ijaz Khan describes the site:

"The locals call it 'Kashmir' Smast, as they used to believe that the
cave extends all the way to Kashmir. The distance to the cave by foot
from the neighboring village of Babozai is approximately 2 hours.
From the valley, there is an ancient staircase which leads up to the
mouth of the cave. It is a hazardous journey, although the steps have
been partially restored by local officials. When you finally approach
the mouth of the cave, at over 3000 feet above sea level, the sight is
unbelievable."

"Your hat will fly off head", Mr. Khan explains in jest, "when you
realize how massive the cave is from within". The mouth of the cave
is about 60 feet wide, and 60 feet high. Mr. Khan describes that
there is virtually village built inside the cave, compete with ruins
and walls and interior chambers. He goes on to describe the three
levels discussed by Cunningham.

"The first settlement is built on the first level, and is illuminated
from the light entering the mouth of the cave. Concentrations of Nezak
and Alchon Hunnic coins have been found on this level. After
traversing the first level, you reach a wall, and a series of stairs
leads up into the second settlement, approximately 60 feet above. The
second level is completely dark and impossible to navigate without an
external light source. You hear the faint sound of flowing water, and
there is a slight dampness in the air. Beyond the second settlement
is a second flight of stairs leading up to the third and final layer.
When you enter the third settlement you realize that the sound you
heard earlier is actually the shrieking of hundreds of bats which
inhabit the inner cave. There is a natural opening approximately 700
to 1000 feet above in the top of the cave wall allowing light in which
illuminates the entire third level. The first and third levels are
the larger settlements."

At the third level, another narrow cave emerges from the side. Mr.
Khan explains: "When I first entered this narrow cave, we were quite
afraid, as no light can enter, and if we had lost our gas lamp, we
would have been stranded." At the end of this tunnel, there is a
large bowl carved out of stone which resembles a cooking pot. Mr.
Khan describes that it is "as smooth as soap and large enough for an
individual to sit inside."

He estimates that the cave would probably have been large enough to
house up to 100 permanent settlers, and as a temple could have housed
up to 2000 worshippers.

"In the facing valley are the ruins of two large fortresses, separated
by 200 feet. A water system runs under one of the forts, originating
from a spring under one of the castles. There is a small carved
chamber built around the spring, with a shelf carved into the rock for
a lamp to be a placed. Next to the first fort is another interesting
little chamber carved out of the rock, 4.5 feet high, 5 foot wide- the
walls are entirely smooth. In addition, there are ruins of a castle
on the top of the mountain within which the cave is situated. It is a
two 2 hour journey on foot to this fort."

Ijaz Khan believes that the cave temples would have acted as a focus
of cultural and economic life, given the concentrated nature of the
finds, while the two large fortresses would have served as
administrative headquarters, and the fortress atop the mountain as a
military watchtower. The peasantry would have inhabited the
settlements beneath the stairs leading up to the cave, where one can
still see the ruined foundations of extensive settlements. He explains
that up to the last century, this cave would have been a very safe
place to settle, as it is difficult to reach and can be easily
defended in times of war. It was not uncommon for people of the
region to seek refuge in caves. "In addition, the area is extremely
beautiful and it is a lush valley, with deer and monkeys. In the old
days, people of the Frontier would come to Kashmir Smast for health
reasons. The sick would spend extensive periods of time here, as the
water and air is known to have healing properties."

b. Description of finds

It is extremely important to note that 50 percent of the unpublished
bronzes are found physically within the cave complex. Half of the
cave finds are within the first settlement, and a quarter each on the
second and third settlements. The remaining fifty percent of the
bronzes are found in the valley directly facing the cave, with only a
meager 5 percent in and around the two ancient fortified complexes in
the valley which were clearly part of the Kashmir Smast settlement.
In addition, a small number of bronzes have been found in the mountain
fort. The unpublished varieties have not been found anywhere else in
all of the North West Frontier Province.

Probably due to atmospheric conditions, the bronzes found inside the
cave tend to be in noticeably poorer condition than those found
outside. The dampness of the second settlement affects most of the
artifacts found there.

Mr. Khan states that it is difficult to gauge exactly where in the
cave certain varieties were found, as earlier excavations had
scattered the unwanted bronze along the floor of the cave.
Occasionally, bronze, silver, and gold coins are found imbedded in the
wall of structures built inside the cave, mixed into the stucco
cement. Mr. Khan recalls seeing only one hoard of 77 unpublished
early Kidara period bronzes found inside a closed vessel, unearthed in
the valley.

c. Hoard Composition

The first bronze lot which was discovered was not a cohesive hoard,
but rather individual finds on the surface of the cave, mostly left
over from earlier excavations. It yielded approximately 500 coins,
mostly small bronze varieties, as well as 5 silver coins, of the Napki
Malka Nezak Hun variety, and three tall bust Alchon Khingila drachms.
In addition, it included 10 to 15 large bronze Napki Malka drachms.

AE Units

The earliest coins found in the cave are individual Kushan bronzes,
from Vima Taktu (a.k.a. Sotermegas) to Vasudeva, with the majority
being crude Vasudeva standing king / Siva and bull varieties, commonly
found across the Northwest Frontier. They are exactly the same as
normal Kushan currency, and tend to be in fairly poor condition,
indicating that they were in circulation for a while perhaps before
being used in Kashmir Smast. While coins of Huvishka and Kanishka I
abound, no bronzes of Kujula Kadphises (a.k.a. Heraios) have been
found. Interestingly, there are a fair number of reduced weight
Kujula imitations with partially or entirely corrupted legends found
in the Hunnic hoards, approximately 0.8 to 2 grams in weight,
generally smaller than the Kujula imitations found elsewhere in the
Frontier Province. These imitations, with their unique fabric and
style, are particular to Kashmir Smast.

Approximately 70 percent of bronzes from Kashmir Smast and the
adjacent valley are Kushano-Sasanian, spanning all known Kushanshah
rulers. Within this group are a number of crudely rendered Kushano-
Sasanian fractionals, which Ijaz Khan believes are also indigenous to
the Smast and probably minted during the Kidara period. According to
him, similar fractional Kushano-Sasanian AE units have been found in
the villages of Barikot, Batkhela, and Nallo. Sasanian bronzes have
also been found.

Approximately 1 to 2 percent of bronzes are of a large drachm size (3
to 4 grams), mostly known Nezak varieties, with additional extremely
rare 4 to 6 gram unpublished bronzes. Mr. Khan has only encountered
about 6 such coins of 2 varieties, one featuring a flower / Brahmi
legend, the other featuring a front facing bust / Bactrian Greek
legend. (Both varieties will be published in subsequent articles.)

The remaining 30 percent are small thin bronzes of Kidara, Alxon,
Nezak, and Shahi types which are the main subject of this study. Mr.
Khan estimates that he has seen over 300 unpublished varieties
spanning more than 400 years, including many unique specimens.

Of the small thin bronzes struck in the Kashmir Smast standard, the
approximate distribution is as follows:
* 20-25% Kidara (refer to http://www.geocities.com/ziadnumis/queen.htm
and add. articles in progress)
* 15% Alxon / Pure Hephthalites (refer to http://www.geocities.com/ziadnumis/alxonintro.htm
and http://www.geocities.com/ziadnumis/alxon.htm)
* 15-20% Nezak (refer to http://www.geocities.com/ziadnumis/nezak.htm
- in progress)
* 10% Turk Shahi (refer to http://www.geocities.com/ziadnumis/simurgh.htm
and add. articles in progress)
* 30% Hindu Shahi (refer to http://www.geocities.com/ziadnumis2/shahi.htm
- in progress)

The Nezak varieties feature a Nezak style bust on the obverse, and
various reverse designs and legends, and include a large number of
published 1/4 drachm AEs. A number of Nezak varieties feature a trident
tamgha on the reverse, which are unique to Kashmir Smast. The obverse
depicts various Nezak style busts with different headdresses and
legends.

A number of bronze Hindu Shahi varieties have been discovered in
Kashmir Smast, primarily in the cave emanating from the third
settlement, and a smaller amount were found directly inside the mouth
of the cave. 80 percent are fractional elephant / lion Spalapati Deva
types, ranging from 0.4 to 1 gm., which are also entirely indigenous
to Kashmir Smast. Twenty percent of the Hindu Shahi types are larger
common Spalapati Deva bronzes found across Zabul and Gandhara. In
addition, there are a handful of either unique or extremely rare
variations, e.g. standing archer / bull, seated figure / bull, in the
Hindu Shahi linear geometric style.

No Indo-Scythian and Indo-Greek coins have been found, although a
substantial number of bronze Menander imitations (refer to the ONS
article, "AE Imitiations of Indo Greek drachms- 4 - 6th c. AD" by
Waleed Ziad) were minted in Kashmir Smast. Mr. Khan mentions that a
villager found a solitary Menander drachm on top of one of the two
fortresses, which seemed as if it had been burnt. It is not unlikely
that this coin was used as a prototype for the Hunnic Menander
imitations of Kashmir Smast.

A small number of cast coins has also been discovered, featuring
animals such as lions, swans, etc. They are stylistically different
from any other coins of Kashmir Smast, and vaguely resemble the cast
civic bronzes of Sogdiana.

Two Islamic AE coins have been found in Kashmir Smast, both
unpublished and executed in a pre-Ghaznawid style. Unlike the smaller
Habbarid currency, they are minted in the Kashmir Smast standard.

AR Drachms and AV dinars

The silver and gold coins found within the cave are generally in
remarkably good condition, indicating low circulation.

AR

Of the AR drachms found in the Smast, 50 percent have been tall bust
Khingila varieties from major Gandharan mints. Approximately 20
percent are Sasanian royal issues, of Shapur I, II, and III, Khusru I
or II, and a large number of Peroz drachms. Twenty percent are Napki
types, and 15 percent are 3/4 facing or right facing Kidara drachms.

While unpublished AR drachms are few and far between in the Smast, one
find of interest was a reduced 3 gram drachm featuring a front facing
bearded bust wearing a two horned headdress. This is no doubt a
Kidara drachm. Another unpublished AR features a bust facing right
with a feather in its headdress.

Another noteworthy find is the heaviest silver coin found in the
kingdom, a 10 gram piece with a Nazek bust on the obverse and a plain
beveled reverse.

AV

Among the AV coins found in the cave, 30 percent are Kushana,
including a few Huvishka and Kanishka dinars. About 50 percent are
Kushano-Sasanian and Kidara scyphate dinars and the remaining 20
percent are Gupta dinars, similar to those found in the Swat and
Malakand agencies. Some half body Sasanian dinars have also been
discovered. In the third settlement, a hoard of 20 to 25 gold dinars
were discovered in the 1990s from the Kidara and Gupta periods.

Seals and artifacts

A number of seals featuring mostly Brahmi characters have been found
in the cave. Mr. Khan describes that there is a particular style of
execution of seals which distinguishes Kashmir Smast seals from
others. They are generally well executed, featuring popular religious
symbols such as the sun wheel, and local flora and fauna. Ijaz Khan
recalls one bronze seal of particular interest found within the cave.
It was a square shaped seal, featuring a swastika on one side, and
lion on one side, beside a khurna tree. He mentions that there are
an abundance of khurna trees in the Kashmir Smast valley, one of the
only places in the region where one can find this particular kind of
tree.

A large quantity of jewelry has also been found, in gold, silver, and
copper. Ijaz Khan recalls one particular pendant with a number of
semi-precious stones imbedded in a gold frame.

Perhaps the most exciting artifact that Ijaz Khan has encountered was
an 8 inch tall bronze lion which a local villager had discovered in
Kashmir Smast in the mid 1990s.