“I dropped out of school after I was done with my matriculation, which I did in Harappa, district of Sahiwal.

My father worked as an artisan in Harappa for over 40 years. I started working with him after dropping out of school and started learning his trade. I was never interested in the work. But seven years after I had worked with him, my father died, leaving me to be the sole bread winner for my six sisters and younger brother.

I did not know any other trade and I adopted the profession after a good convincing by American archaeologist Jonathan Mark Kenoyer and the director general of the Department of Archaeology. They told me my father was the best in his profession and that I should continue with his work.

He was known for making replicas of things discovered during excavations.

This work requires a lot of attention to detail. We have to look for the ideal mud which we take back to our workplace. The mud is cleaned with a sieve and kneaded. It is then buried for at least two months and then used for making replicas.

The replicas are heated for 10 hours at 850°C and left to cool for two days. The archaeology department then undertakes its own tests to certify the final product. The department issues formal licenses to us for making replicas.

Though it requires a lot of hard work, this profession does not pay much. The most we earn in a month is around R17,000 so I have to rely on my paint work to provide for my family.

Most of our customers include tourists and people visiting exhibitions we may be taking part in.

I do not see any future in this work. It is a dying art. Even my brother is reluctant to invest his time in this profession. I can say I am one of the last people in this profession and this art will soon be lost if the government does not step in.”

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2019