| Project/Area Number |
12800010
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Special Purpose.
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Institution | Tokyo National Museum |
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Principal Investigator |
NISHIOKA Yasuhiro Tokyo National Museum, Vice-Director-General, 次長 (40000351)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
MOCHIZUKI Mikio Tokyo National Museum, Curator, Dept. of Japanese Archaeology, 学芸部・考古課, 有史室長 (60141991)
KOIZUMI Yoshihide Tokyo National Museum, Curator, Dept.of Oriental Antiquities, 学芸部・東洋課, インド・南東アジア室長 (40205315)
DAINOBU Yuji Tokyo National Museum, Curator, Research and Information Center, 資料部, 研究指導室長 (80163715)
GOTO Takeshi Tokyo National Museum, Curator, Dept. of Oriental Antiquities, 学芸部・東洋課, 西アジア・エジプト室長 (40132758)
TANI Toyonobu Tokyo National Museum, Curator, Dept. of Oriental Antiquities, 学芸部・東洋課, 北東アジア室長 (70171824)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2000
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| Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 2000)
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| Keywords | Zar Dheri / Gandhara / Hazara / Buddhist temple / Kushan / schist / Radiocarbon dating |
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| Research Abstract |
In the 1999 season the Tokyo National Museum Archaeological Mission to Pakistan has excavated more than 130 stone sculptures from the Buddhist temple site Zar Dheri it the North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan. During this season the Mission closely studied, measured and photographed these pieces unearthed from the monk's cell F/2.
As many sculptures have suffered from fracture, exfoliation or loss of its original strengh, the Mission established a proposal for the restoration.
Through the geological examination of stone samples, very similar to those used for architecture and sculptures, they are confirmed to be of schist. Two charred wood from the doorsill of the cell F/2 and the outside of the neighboring cell G/2 were put to some scientific analyses to determine their respective species and dates through the radiocarbon dating. The charred samples from the F/2 was of Himalayan cedar, while those of G/2 of pine genus ; and the felling dates for F/2 and for G/2 were determined at sometime between 100 BC-140 AD and 160 BC-150 AD (within 95 % probability) respectively. The scientific dating of the charred substances indicates that the site was more or less contemporary to the prime period of the Gandharan Buddhist culture, i. e. Kushan period (1st-3rd centuries).
The Mission has renovated the godown for a safer and better safekeeping of the objects, i.e. set up the facilities of electricity and ventilation, repair of the wall, reinforcement of the lock for the security.
A database of the whole collection with photographic documents is now available.
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