Archaeological Report Unpublished Findings from the 2003 UNESCO Project Excavations at the Upper Terrace of Shalamar Gardens, Lahore

Abstract

Archaeological investigations were conducted at the upper terrace of Shalamar Gardens, Lahore, as part of the 2003 UNESCO conservation project, to determine whether the present charbagh layout dividing the terrace into four quadrants represents the garden’s original Mughal-period design, or whether a secondary subdivision into sixteen quadrants was introduced at a later stage. Three exploratory trenches (A, B, and C) were excavated at carefully selected bisecting points across the southwestern and southeastern lawns. The investigations exposed a well-organised network of narrow irrigation drains constructed in country brick set in kankar lime mortar, reflecting the original Mughal hydraulic engineering. Critically, no evidence of water channels, walkways, or structural features consistent with a sixteen-quadrant subdivision was encountered in any of the three trenches. These findings are consistent with earlier investigations conducted by the Department of Archaeology and Museums and confirm that the upper terrace of Shalamar Gardens was laid out in the charbagh pattern of four quadrants during the reign of Emperor Shah Jahan, and was never formally subdivided into sixteen plots.

Keywords: Shalamar Gardens; Lahore; Mughal garden architecture; charbagh; archaeological excavation; UNESCO; hydraulic system; irrigation drains; Shah Jahan