Fwd: Archaeologists unearth major Buddhist settlement in Pak

[Guest guest]

gandhara , " ymalaiya " <ymalaiya wrote:

 

 

Islamabad March 11, 2005 3:20:48 PM IST

 

Officials from Pakistan's Department of Archaeology and Museums have

unearthed an entire Buddhist settlement at Takht Bhai in Pakistan's

North West Frontier Province.

According to The News, the newly discovered ridge contains

residential houses for monks, with the entire settlement comprised

of ten houses having a special structure. The layout includes two

storey buildings with each having a courtyard and two rooms built in

them on a separate platform. Also all the houses are connected with

each other through stairs, with each having stairs to its upper

storey on the backside of the building. Each house also has a stupa

built outside it.

 

Abdul Azim, the assistant director department of Archaeology and

Museum and site in charge, said that a new ridge of Gandhara Art

relics have been unearthed during fresh excavations at the historic

religious sites at Takht Bhai. Many sculptures and other remains

have also been found during the excavations and include statues of

Buddha, sculptures of elephants, lions and other animals, water

containers, tools used for weight lifting, lamps and decoration

pieces.

 

Officials further add that many of these monuments, most of which

are still in fragmentary condition, have been stored at a secret and

well-protected room on the site, to be later displayed at the museum

to be built on the site.

 

Experts believe that some of the sculptures, which have been found

fixed on walls and stupas, would be preserved the way they were

found.

 

" We cannot even touch them at present as they are in very delicate

condition and a mere touching of hand may cause damages to them, "

the paper quoted Azim as saying.

 

He further added that most of the structure was buried under its own

debris. (ANI)

 

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