CBC Radio 1s Quirks & Quarks - Saturday November 30th Uncovering Buddhas Birthplace The birthplace of the Buddha has long been believed to be the sacred Maya Devi Temple in Lumbini, Nepal. The temple is a brick structure that dates back to the 3rd century BCE. But some Buddhists believe the birth date may have been much earlier, and today there is archaeological evidence to support that. Professor Robin Coningham from the Department of Archaeology at Durham University in England was working at the Lumbini site and stumbled upon evidence of another brick temple directly below the existing one. But the real surprise was a third temple - a timber structure - below that; all three follow the same footprint and include an open air section. Archaeological evidence of tree roots were also found, suggesting the temples were tree shrines, in keeping with the belief that the Buddha was born in that location, while his mother held on to a tree. The timber structure - built in the 6th century BCE - supports an earlier birth and suggests an earlier chronology for the rise and spread of Buddhism than previously thought.
Posted on: Sun, 01 Dec 2013 12:04:27 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015