Alessandro Magno nel Sindh. Città, roccaforti e installazioni culturali

The exploration of the mouth of the Indus led by Alexander the Great and his Admiral Nearchus in 325 B.C. has aroused great interest among scholars. Attempts have been made, with often contradictory results, to reconstruct the itineraries followed and to identify the sites remembered by the sources. Reconstruction has been made very difficult by changes in the landscape over time and, above all, by the absence of archaeological finds dating back to the time of Alexander. This paper reconsiders the information provided by the sources on the exploration of the lower course of the Indus by Alexander and Nearchus; then discusses possible identifications of the best preserved archaeological site in the area, that of Banbhore, with the places designated by ancient place names (Barbarikon, Barce, Daybul); finally, it poses the problem of the "port of Alexander" mentioned by Arrianus in the Indike.