The Washington herald., 1909-08-29
BUDDHA'S ASHES
FOUND IN INDIA
ArchaeolOgist Finds Bits Of
Bone Near PagOda.
RELIC FOUND IN BRONZE BOX
Or. spoOner, Who Made Excavations,
Believes Important Discovery Was
Made in Mound Where Royal House
of Knnishka Once StOOd-CasIet
Inscriptions Identify the site.

London, Aug 2S.-The Indian news
papers arriving by this weeks mail bring
interesting particulars Of an important
discovery by DIR. Spooner, Of the Indian
archaeological department. While con-
Quoting excavation work on the site Of
the Emperor Kanishkas great pagoda
near Peshawar, Dr.. Spooner unearthed a
bronze casket containing what is be-
neved to be a portion Of the ashes OF
Gautama, the Buddha.
The site OF the excavation comprises
two mounds in the fields a half mile from
Peshawar. Some years ago the French
archaeologist Foucher Identified II as the
spot on which stood the vast monastery
and pagoda described by Song-yun and
Huien Tsang. famous Chinese travellers
OF the sixth and seventh centuries.
BuiIt by IIanishla.
The pagoda was built by Kanishka. one
OF the greatest OF the Buddhist emperors
Of Northern India, a contemporary, it is
believed. OF Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius.
It was regarded as one Of the wonders Of
the world. The superstructure Of carved
wood rose in thirteen stories to a height
OF at least 400 feet, and was surmounted
by a mighty iron pinnacle. The monas-
terry az its side was OF great extent and
magnifcance.
Before the days OF Song-yun's visit
the great pagoda had been destroyed by
fire three times and as often rebuilt.
When the Mohammedan invasion of Nah
mud Of Chain swept down like a cloud
on the Punjab the pagoda and the mon
astery were hlotted out along with the
other memorials of the submerged civil
ization But the testimony OF the early
Chinese pilgrims whose works remain
leaves no doubt as 10 its site and the
special reason of its sanctity. Tradition
points strongly to the belief that part of
the ashes Of Buddha were brought TO this
place
Some months ago DR.. Spooner attacked
the two mounds The larger has as yet
yielded only fragments of masonry on a
huge scale. The excavation of the
smaller has revealed the remains of an
immense pagoda. measuring 2S5 feet from
side to side. together with a stucco frieze
adorned with seated Buddhas and hun
dreds OF square earthen plaques almost
Babylonian in dimensions. These are
covered with blue vitreous glaze and bear
individual letters IN the Kharoshthi script /
been made out OF them
Digging farther. Or. Spooner unearthed I
a stone burial chamber, which was rec |
ognlzed as the home of the clio IN honor /
OF which the pagoda was originally built /
The roof had fallen in and one block OF 1
stone had partly crushed small bronze /
casket IN the corner. The casket was
seven inches high by five inches across !
and green with the corrosion OF cen /
turtles.
When the bronze was cleaned there /
emerged figures OF delicate carving, with /
Kharoshthi inscriptions in fine indented /
curves between. The top is curved. and 4
carved in the form OF the lotus. in the |
midst Of which are figures Of the seated /
Buddha and two wOrshiping Bodhisatt- i
vas. Around are carved geese chasing /
each other in flight
A Number OF Figures.
Below the lid are number OF bronze /
figures. chief among which is a standing 4
figure in princely guise, judged to re- /
semble the image on the coins of the 4
Emperor KRnishka, whose name ap- |
pears in the inscriptions on the casket /
Another name hardly less interesting. is /
that Of the Greek craftsman Of the cas- i
ket-Agesilaus. head engineer in the vi /
hari monastery OF Kanishka IN the /
Sugarana collection Of pagodas and |
monasteries) Of Mahasena.
The bottom Of the bronze casket was 1
broken, revealing the edge Of a trans /
parent rock crystal. This. extracted with /
the utmost care, proved TO be a smaller /
casket wrought in hexagonaI form, five /
inches long by three across. From the |
top had fallen an earthen SEAL bearing /
the device OF an elephant, believed to /
have been the emblem Of the royal house /
OF Kanishka, and within were the three /
small pieces OF charred bone on which at /
this moment the gaze OF the Buddhist 4