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Oldest Buddhist Shrine

November 26, 2013 by · Comments Off on Oldest Buddhist Shrine 

Oldest Buddhist Shrine, Archeologists in Nepal say they have discovered traces of a wooden structure dating from the sixth century B.C. that they believe is the world’s oldest Buddhist shrine.

Kosh Prasad Acharya, who teamed with archeologists from Britain’s Durham University, said Tuesday that the structure was unearthed inside the sacred Mayadevi Temple in Lumbini. Buddha, also known as Siddhartha Gautama, is generally thought to have been born in about the sixth century B.C. at the temple site.

The findings were published in the December issue of the journal Antiquity.

Acharya said the traces were tested using radiocarbon and luminescence techniques, which found they dated from the sixth century B.C.

The archaeological team dug underneath previously known brick structures inside the temple, and experts from Scotland’s University of Sterling examined and collected the samples, he said.

The team has been working on the site for the past three years.

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