Hodour Kino Kot Valley Diamer Gilgit-Baltistan

 

    The hilltop settlement Hodur Kino Kot, is located on the eastern side of the entrance to the Hodur valley, which is separated from the slopes of the Indus valley by an extended saddle. The peak rises to somewhat more than 100 meter above the average Indus level. A deserted settlement called at the time of M.A. Stein “Kino Kot”i.e. black village-fortress, by the inhabitants of Hodur is here situated. The ruins are visible even from a far. Houses and court yards positioned close together and cover almost the whole of this mountain spurs. Prof. A.H. Dani dealt with this site in his book on the rock carvings in Chilas. Since a connection with the rock carving site Hodur village, lying immediately at the foot of Kino Kot, cannot be excluded. Numerous ruins of buildings, irrigation canals, terrace fields and other traces of settlement are preserved. The arrangement of the houses gives more the impression of the village, which expanded in three ring fashion outwards.

      A large number of grinding stones and their fragments lie scattered all over the area. The natural conditions-steep scree slopes, which are difficult to climb-protect the settlement. The spurs situation allows a vantage over a wide area of the Indus valley. It is striking that some of the buildings are surrounded by small courtyards or rooms with rounded walls and corners in a honeycomb like manner. Between the Kino Kot and the mountain slopes, some ruins of large buildings as well as a huge retaining wall erecting from very large quarry stones that fortifies the slope to the NE. Close to the Hodur Gah remains of terrace fields’ irrigation canals are visible. Some fragments of pot shards found entirely of handmade fabric, only few shreds belong to a fine, wheel-turned ware.