Monday, December 30, 2019

World's largest unexcavated Buddhist temple

BBC; AJ English, 5/13; Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Pat Macpherson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly


Race to save Afghanistan's Buddhist treasures: Mes Aynak ("Copper Well")
Archeologists just south of Kabul are racing to preserve one of the richest Buddhist historical sites ever found.

The ancient Buddhist monasteries and statues in Mes Aynak are under threat from a Chinese mining company that plans to raze the area to tap into the world's second largest known copper deposit.

Many fear the (US$) 3 billion dollar mining contract, Afghanistan's biggest commercial deal, will lead to the utter destruction of a [2,600-year] old heritage site [with indications the area has 5,000-year-old artifacts as well]. Al Jazeera's Jennifer Glasse reports from Mes Aynak.

The Scythians of Central Asia, Shakyians of Gandhara/Afghanistan, were the Buddha's extended family or clan and were very rich settled nomadic warriors along the Silk Road. They renounced, following the example of Prince Siddhartha, and became the monks of the mines (NatGeo).
(NatGeo) Archeologists go in search of Buddhist treasure -- more gold than found in King Tut's tomb and the world's largest Buddha statue in Bamiyan, Afghanistan (ancient Kapilavastu, Gandhara).
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