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Ancient Buddhist Temple Uncovered In West Afghanistan
Mainichi Daily News ^ | 11-19-2003

Posted on 11/19/2003 3:25:04 PM PST by blam

Ancient Buddhist temple uncovered in west Afghanistan

A team of Japanese researchers has confirmed the existence of an ancient Buddhist temple 120 kilometers west of the Afghanistan town of Bamiyan.

Courtesy of Atsushi Naka A view of the temple remains from the northeast, photographed in October.

The remains of the temple, which is thought to have been built before the 8th century, when Islam spread throughout the region, are in an area largely untouched by world research teams.

Researchers say the remains suggest the existence of a new Silk Road path that extended west from Bamiyan.

It is hoped that the find, located close to the remains of a fortress, will provide clues to the history of trade between East and West and the propagation of Buddhism in the region. Japan's Ryukoku University, which operates a Buddhist culture research institute is considering launching a full-scale investigation into the find.

The temple's existence was confirmed following an investigation conducted between the end of last month and this month by Buddhist photographer Atsushi Naka and Meiji Yamada, a researcher of Buddhist ruins in Central Asia.

The remains of the temple are located in a mountain region linked to the Hindu Kush mountains, about 2,400 meters above sea level. They measure about 58 meters by 47 meters and are two stories high.

The remains contain a courtyard, several small rooms with dome-shaped roofs and a lecture hall. In hollows in the walls were miniature shrines to place Buddhist images. The remains also contain a stupa with a diameter of about 7.7 meters. About 6 kilometers west of the temple remains are the remains of a fortress whose local names translates as "40 towers."

Bamiyan, with its stone caves and giant stone Buddhas, is mentioned in ancient writings by the Chinese Buddhist monk Xuan Zang (602-664), but no literary records mentioning the temple and fortress 100 kilometers to the west have yet been found.

Buddhism developed greatly as a world religion in Gandhara, east of Bamiyan, and spread to Asia. Remains of a Buddhist temple stand in an area of Turkmenistan in Central Asia, north of Bamiyan, but there was previously no known Silk Road route going west from Bamiyan. (Mainichi Shimbun, Japan, Nov. 19, 2003)


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; ancient; archaeology; archeology; buddhist; faithandphilosophy; ggg; godsgravesglyphs; history; temple

1 posted on 11/19/2003 3:25:06 PM PST by blam
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To: farmfriend
Ping.
2 posted on 11/19/2003 3:26:15 PM PST by blam
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To: Allan
fyi
3 posted on 11/19/2003 3:40:00 PM PST by keri
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To: blam
Maybe the Taliban can dynamite it like they did the Bamayan statues.
4 posted on 11/19/2003 3:50:00 PM PST by IronJack
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To: blam
So I guess this means that Afghanistan belongs to Buddhists because Buddhists were there before Muslims -- using the same argument that Palestinians use to try to wrest Israel back as "Palestine".
5 posted on 11/19/2003 3:55:28 PM PST by xrp (Fox News Sucks: ALL LACI PETERSON, ALL THE TIME!)
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To: blam

Just to the left of where it says 'Gobi Desert' is where the 4,000 year old caucasian mummies were found. Mystery Of The Mummies

6 posted on 11/19/2003 4:02:00 PM PST by blam
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To: blam
The Tocharians are probably the people who took Buddhism to China.
7 posted on 11/19/2003 4:34:20 PM PST by blam
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To: blam
Didn't Al Gore discover it on a fund raising trip?
8 posted on 11/19/2003 4:39:49 PM PST by ChemistCat (Hang in there, Terri. Absorb. Take in. Live. Heal.)
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To: keri
an ancient Buddhist temple 120 kilometers west of the Afghanistan town of Bamiyan

I wish they had given more precise information
regarding the location of the temple.
I probably have been very near it.
About 120 kilometers west of Bamiyan
there is an extraordinary canyon
which rivals the one in Arizona.

9 posted on 11/19/2003 9:01:24 PM PST by Allan
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To: blam
Do you have more precise information regarding the location of the temple?
10 posted on 11/19/2003 9:02:31 PM PST by Allan
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To: Allan
"Do you have more precise information regarding the location of the temple?"

Just what's in the article.

11 posted on 11/19/2003 10:27:10 PM PST by blam
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To: IronJack
Yup, them Islam varmits don't like Hindu's.
12 posted on 11/19/2003 10:29:22 PM PST by Pro-Bush (Homeland Security + Tom Ridge = Open Borders --> Demand Change!)
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To: blam; *Gods, Graves, Glyphs; Alas Babylon!; Andyman; annyokie; bd476; BiffWondercat; ...
Gods, Graves, Glyphs
List for articles regarding early civilizations , life of all forms, - dinosaurs - etc.

Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from this ping list.

13 posted on 11/20/2003 1:14:46 AM PST by farmfriend ( Isaiah 55:10,11)
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To: Pro-Bush
Hindus are not Buddhists. But Muslims don't like either.
14 posted on 11/20/2003 4:45:08 AM PST by IronJack
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To: IronJack
But Muslims don't like either. <

Muslims don't like anybody. Including each other.

15 posted on 11/20/2003 7:51:45 AM PST by curmudgeonII
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To: blam
BTTT
16 posted on 02/06/2004 4:41:49 PM PST by carpio
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Just updating the GGG information, not sending a general distribution.
Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on, off, or alter the "Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list --
Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
The GGG Digest
-- Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)

17 posted on 05/11/2005 11:17:03 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (FR profiled updated Tuesday, May 10, 2005. Fewer graphics, faster loading.)
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18 posted on 06/28/2011 7:07:36 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (It's the Obamacare, stupid! -- Thanks Cincinna for this link -- http://www.friendsofitamar.org)
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