Layers of culture
The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two giant Buddha statues carved into a cliff in central Afghanistan. In 2001, Afghanistan’s Taliban government destroyed the statues because they were un-Islamic. But their destruction has led to a number of new discoveries.
The statues were carved into a sandstone cliff in the 5th century. From the 2nd century until the Islamic invasion in the 7th century, Bamiyan was a thriving Buddhist center and was home to several monasteries. It was also part of the Silk Road. They held annual celebrations there that attracted many pilgrims and people would make offerings to the statues.
The destruction of the statues revealed 50 caves behind them, and the caves contained a number of important discoveries including the world’s oldest oil paintings[1] .
The caves had been used as homes for monks. In the caves, scientists found oil paintings. They are the oldest oil paintings ever discovered, and they date from hundreds of years before oil paint was used in Europe.
Another important discovery found in the caves was a translation of the original Sanskrit Pratityasamutpada Sutra. This is a document that spells out the basic beliefs of Buddhism. It was written on birch bark. It’s the first time a sutra was found inside an Afghan Buddha statue[2] .
Archaeologists also found a clay seal and a small metal plate that were decorated with a snake, a bird-like creature, and a flower-like pattern. Experts say that the symbols may represent a specific group that sponsored the construction of the giant statues.
In 2008, archaeologist also unearthed a 62-foot reclining Buddha statue nearby.
But they are still searching for another legendary giant Buddha statue they believe is at the site. This giant statue was written about in ancient records, in the journal of Xuanzang, a Chinese pilgrim who traveled to central Afghanistan around 630 A.D. and it is supposedly 300 meters in size[3] .
The Three articles I used for researching this article are :
Comments
Post a Comment