The Buddhist stupa site of Bharhut and its sacred and secular geographies
The remains of the Buddhist stupa at Bharhut have long been the subject of much study. While the remains have been well documented, however, a pre-occupation with only a few âimportantâ sculptures and inscriptions has limited the full examination of archaeological data. Interpretations about Bharhut, and the ways in which the Buddhist community at the site were engaged with the wider society around them, have always been made with reference to wider models of Buddhism, and not the evidence provided by the site and the region. Addressing this, research carried out for this PhD has re-examined this important site from all points of view. An inter-disciplinary methodology was formulated with 3 distinct foci of enquiry. First, shifting attention away from a traditional preoccupation with the stupa monument, the wider archaeological context of the site of Bharhut has been comprehensively examined. Second, the wider regional contexts of Bharhut have been examined by surveying the archaeological and geographical features in the surrounding region. Third, the sculptures and inscriptions have been thoroughly re-assessed in light of the findings of the examination of the site and the region. Examination of the site
Hawkes, J. D.
The Buddhist stupa site of Bharhut and its sacred and secular geographies. The remains of the Buddhist stupa at Bharhut have long been the subject of much study. While the remains have been well documented, however, a pre-occupation with only a few âimportantâ sculptures and inscriptions has limited the full examination of archaeological data. Interpretations about Bharhut, and the ways in which the Buddhist community at the site were engaged with the wider society around them, have always been made with reference to wider models of Buddhism, and not the evidence provided by the site and the region. Addressing this, research carried out for this PhD has re-examined this important site from all points of view. An inter-disciplinary methodology was formulated with 3 distinct foci of enquiry. First, shifting attention away from a traditional preoccupation with the stupa monument, the wider archaeological context of the site of Bharhut has been comprehensively examined. Second, the wider regional contexts of Bharhut have been examined by surveying the archaeological and geographical features in the surrounding region. Third, the sculptures and inscriptions have been thoroughly re-assessed in light of the findings of the examination of the site and the region. Examination of the site
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