A Tale of Two Cities. Notes on the Two Barikot in Dir and Swat

The talk will focus on the historical intertwining of two settlements, both named Barikot, one in Swat and the other in the Kumrat Valley. Preliminary results of excavations of the late medieval and pre-modern phases of Barikot, Swat, conducted on the hill of the same name in 2019-2020, will be presented. The settlement of Barikot, Swat, was abandoned in the 17th century, when the inhabitants migrated to the Kumrat Valley in Dir. A second settlement was established there, again called Barikot, which was later reported by Harold Deane and S.H. Godfrey. In 2020 and 2021, the archaeological team surveyed the area of Barikot, Kumrat, and gathered some additional valuable information.