"
Excavations at Mes Aynak ("Copper Respectably"), Afghanistan, a enormous Buddhist temple obstinate in take a chance of demolition due to US war, Afghan desperation, and Chinese greed (Science, "Vol. 329, 7-30-10/IRTIQA).
To disgrace the world and yield a tolerate for war, the CIA-created Taliban demolished some of the world's prevalent Buddha statues at Bamiyan, 125 miles to the northwest. The age of public statues is badly behaved to spot at the same time as long before they were won over to Buddhist images, monastic caves, and a complex cultural crossroads despondent the Silk Pilot, they were monolithic giants depicting humankind devolving intentionally completed the epochs, according to Russian psychic and Theosophist Madame Blavatsky.
Map of Mes Aynak, Afghanistan (SV)
A cherished metal and cold and damp earth probability 25 miles southeast of Kabul, the up to date Afghan currency, was an enormous Buddhist temple obstinate 2,600 years ago. Why? The Buddha was natural in the ancient territory (now called Logar Deal with), which was in imitation of India's northwest specialization. Temples were on a regular basis built not quite mines to bribery raw riches for the deep temple structures.
Buddhist archaeological discoveries: Mes Aynak, Tepe Naranj, Buddhist art of the Kabul River Dishonor -- the initially new collections to key the Nat'l Museum (Kabul) in 30 years come from the not long excavated Buddhist sites of ancient Kabulistan. The floor show finds from two sites, Mes Aynak and Tepe Narenj, to a great degree increase our understanding of the enriching culture of the territory here the porch of Islam and the displacement of Buddhism and Zoroastrianism Higher
* THE WORLD'S OLDEST Side OF Religion
Mes Aynak jewelry proceeds (SV)
That enlarge 1,000 HECTARE Set-up -- with assorted monasteries, nunneries, and other buildings -- is very ancient and is supposedly set atop two large layers of a arrangement. But Chinese objective multinational interests are measure their best to make firm the world never sees furthermost of what constitutes this archeological site. They panorama to consume it and game its boulder wealth.
Millennia ago, this territory served as a judgmental instrument in the turgid of Buddhism to Essence Asia [up to Europe and the and no-one else indigenously Buddhist element of Europe, KALMYKIA] and China [Buddhism flourished in ancient Greece before it got to China], says T. Richard Blurton, an archaeologist and superintendent at London's British Museum who has excavated in Afghanistan.
The waterless site hitting cultural wonders
Blurton says Mes Aynak may well domestic animals new truth on every the origin and departure of the religion about. Researchers now symbol that as in arrears as the 7th century C.E., the same as Islam during in the edge, Buddhism was calm making inroads as far west as Iran and as far north as Turkmenistan. "It's stacks tantalizing to scrutinize how Buddhism coexisted with the new religion."
Mes Aynak, Afghanistan (Michal Przedlacki, DZIADEK/FLICKR.COM/GALLERY)
Existing are in addition Hindu deities from that in arrears calendar day at Tepe Sardar, a large monastery placed in the eastern Afghan public of Ghazni. Be in support of something suspicion from Mes Aynak may well help domestic animals a new picture of heartfelt blending at an critical over and done incident, explains Blurton. Existing is some reliance for deal and coexistence -- by creating a watched over section for archeology. But it looks covet the finality is now without delay in the hands of US-installed Afghan finer Karzai. Interpret Fatty Clause (subscription may be fundamental).
* CULTURAL New start IN EUROPE'S Immediately BUDDHIST Subdivision
