Significance of Recent Archaeological Discoveries from Bhamala Taxila (Pakistan)

Lecture by Pr. Abdul Hameed, 2024-2025 Paris IAS Fellow, within a series of seminars on the Archaeology of Central Asia at the EHESS.

Pr. Abdul Hameed will highlight the significance of recent archaeological discoveries from the World Heritage site of Bhamala, Taxila (Pakistan). The ancient Buddhist complex of Bhamala has recently been excavated by a joint team of archaeologists from the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Department of Archaeology, Hazara University Mansehra led by the scholar. These excavations have revealed some remarkable discoveries from the site that have changed earlier perceptions regarding the Buddhist art and Architecture in South Asia, Southeast Asia and Central Asia. The scholar will present an overview of these discoveries and compare them with other contemporary sites in the surrounding regions including Central Asia, China, India and Afghanistan.

With the support of the École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS) / Centre for Turkish, Ottoman, Balkan and Central Asian Studies (CETOBaC).