"ancient stone"

#13304676

11 February 2026

Professor Robin Coningham, UNESCO Chair on Archaeological Ethics and Practice in Cultural Heritage at Durham University and co-director of the excavations, attends a press conference in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 11, 2026. A collaborative team of national and international experts from the Department of Archaeology, Government of Nepal, Lumbini Development Trust, and Durham University's UNESCO Chair uncovers Nepal's first example of an apsidal Buddhist temple within the ancient city of Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu, one of the best-preserved Early Historic cities and hinterlands in South Asia. A clear category of temple in South Asia, they are called apsidal as they have a curved end wall that defines the religious focus of the monument, with an entrance platform at the other end. The earliest known examples are cut into rock, with later monuments constructed out of stone, timber, or brick. The monument revealed at Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu, the first discovered in Nepal, follows this exact layout but is unusual in its location. It is a rare example of an apsidal temple constructed within a city rather than in a separate religious complex. The newly discovered apsidal structure is built near the center of the city of Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu over the remains of the city's earlier palatial complex. This central walled complex defines an area of 100 by 100 meters through a massive brick wall measuring 1.5 meters wide. After its abandonment, the complex becomes a focus for veneration, with Buddhist monasteries built over its ruined monumental walls. It is within the courtyard of one of these monasteries that the apsidal temple is built, enshrining and respecting an earlier Buddhist stupa within the earlier monastery.

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#13304677

11 February 2026

Archaeologists from the Department of Archaeology, Government of Nepal, Lumbini Development Trust, and Durham University hold a press conference in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 11, 2026, announcing the uncovering of the first apsidal Buddhist temple in Nepal. A collaborative team of national and international experts from the Department of Archaeology, Government of Nepal, Lumbini Development Trust, and Durham University's UNESCO Chair uncover Nepal's first example of an apsidal Buddhist temple within the ancient city of Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu, one of the best-preserved Early Historic cities and hinterlands in South Asia. A clear category of temple in South Asia, they are called apsidal as they have a curved end wall that defines the religious focus of the monument, with an entrance platform at the other end. The earliest known examples are cut into rock, with later monuments constructed out of stone, timber, or brick. The monument revealed at Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu, the first discovered in Nepal, follows this exact layout but is unusual in its location. It is a rare example of an apsidal temple constructed within a city rather than in a separate religious complex. The newly discovered apsidal structure is built near the center of the city of Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu over the remains of the city's earlier palatial complex. This central walled complex defines an area of 100 by 100 meters through a massive brick wall measuring 1.5 meters wide. After its abandonment, the complex becomes a focus for veneration, with Buddhist monasteries built over its ruined monumental walls. It is within the courtyard of one of these monasteries that the apsidal temple is built, enshrining and respecting an earlier Buddhist stupa within the earlier monastery.

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#13304678

11 February 2026

Professor Robin Coningham, UNESCO Chair on Archaeological Ethics and Practice in Cultural Heritage at Durham University and co-director of the excavations, attends a press conference in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 11, 2026. A collaborative team of national and international experts from the Department of Archaeology, Government of Nepal, Lumbini Development Trust, and Durham University's UNESCO Chair uncovers Nepal's first example of an apsidal Buddhist temple within the ancient city of Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu, one of the best-preserved Early Historic cities and hinterlands in South Asia. A clear category of temple in South Asia, they are called apsidal as they have a curved end wall that defines the religious focus of the monument, with an entrance platform at the other end. The earliest known examples are cut into rock, with later monuments constructed out of stone, timber, or brick. The monument revealed at Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu, the first discovered in Nepal, follows this exact layout but is unusual in its location. It is a rare example of an apsidal temple constructed within a city rather than in a separate religious complex. The newly discovered apsidal structure is built near the center of the city of Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu over the remains of the city's earlier palatial complex. This central walled complex defines an area of 100 by 100 meters through a massive brick wall measuring 1.5 meters wide. After its abandonment, the complex becomes a focus for veneration, with Buddhist monasteries built over its ruined monumental walls. It is within the courtyard of one of these monasteries that the apsidal temple is built, enshrining and respecting an earlier Buddhist stupa within the earlier monastery.

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#13304679

11 February 2026

Professor Robin Coningham, UNESCO Chair on Archaeological Ethics and Practice in Cultural Heritage at Durham University and co-director of the excavations, briefs about the findings during a press conference in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 11, 2026. A collaborative team of national and international experts from the Department of Archaeology, Government of Nepal, Lumbini Development Trust, and Durham University's UNESCO Chair uncovers Nepal's first example of an apsidal Buddhist temple within the ancient city of Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu, one of the best-preserved Early Historic cities and hinterlands in South Asia. A clear category of temple in South Asia, they are called apsidal as they have a curved end wall that defines the religious focus of the monument, with an entrance platform at the other end. The earliest known examples are cut into rock, with later monuments constructed out of stone, timber, or brick. The monument revealed at Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu, the first discovered in Nepal, follows this exact layout but is unusual in its location. It is a rare example of an apsidal temple constructed within a city rather than in a separate religious complex. The newly discovered apsidal structure is built near the center of the city of Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu over the remains of the city's earlier palatial complex. This central walled complex defines an area of 100 by 100 meters through a massive brick wall measuring 1.5 meters wide. After its abandonment, the complex becomes a focus for veneration, with Buddhist monasteries built over its ruined monumental walls. It is within the courtyard of one of these monasteries that the apsidal temple is built, enshrining and respecting an earlier Buddhist stupa within the earlier monastery.

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#13304680

11 February 2026

Professor Robin Coningham, UNESCO Chair on Archaeological Ethics and Practice in Cultural Heritage at Durham University and co-director of the excavations, briefs about the findings during a press conference in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 11, 2026. A collaborative team of national and international experts from the Department of Archaeology, Government of Nepal, Lumbini Development Trust, and Durham University's UNESCO Chair uncovers Nepal's first example of an apsidal Buddhist temple within the ancient city of Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu, one of the best-preserved Early Historic cities and hinterlands in South Asia. A clear category of temple in South Asia, they are called apsidal as they have a curved end wall that defines the religious focus of the monument, with an entrance platform at the other end. The earliest known examples are cut into rock, with later monuments constructed out of stone, timber, or brick. The monument revealed at Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu, the first discovered in Nepal, follows this exact layout but is unusual in its location. It is a rare example of an apsidal temple constructed within a city rather than in a separate religious complex. The newly discovered apsidal structure is built near the center of the city of Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu over the remains of the city's earlier palatial complex. This central walled complex defines an area of 100 by 100 meters through a massive brick wall measuring 1.5 meters wide. After its abandonment, the complex becomes a focus for veneration, with Buddhist monasteries built over its ruined monumental walls. It is within the courtyard of one of these monasteries that the apsidal temple is built, enshrining and respecting an earlier Buddhist stupa within the earlier monastery.

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#13304681

11 February 2026

Professor Robin Coningham, UNESCO Chair on Archaeological Ethics and Practice in Cultural Heritage at Durham University and co-director of the excavations, briefs about the findings during a press conference in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 11, 2026. A collaborative team of national and international experts from the Department of Archaeology, Government of Nepal, Lumbini Development Trust, and Durham University's UNESCO Chair uncovers Nepal's first example of an apsidal Buddhist temple within the ancient city of Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu, one of the best-preserved Early Historic cities and hinterlands in South Asia. A clear category of temple in South Asia, they are called apsidal as they have a curved end wall that defines the religious focus of the monument, with an entrance platform at the other end. The earliest known examples are cut into rock, with later monuments constructed out of stone, timber, or brick. The monument revealed at Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu, the first discovered in Nepal, follows this exact layout but is unusual in its location. It is a rare example of an apsidal temple constructed within a city rather than in a separate religious complex. The newly discovered apsidal structure is built near the center of the city of Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu over the remains of the city's earlier palatial complex. This central walled complex defines an area of 100 by 100 meters through a massive brick wall measuring 1.5 meters wide. After its abandonment, the complex becomes a focus for veneration, with Buddhist monasteries built over its ruined monumental walls. It is within the courtyard of one of these monasteries that the apsidal temple is built, enshrining and respecting an earlier Buddhist stupa within the earlier monastery.

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#13267295

2 February 2026

A replica of historic fossils of the Flores dwarf elephant is displayed at the National Museum in Jakarta, Indonesia, on December 28, 2025. Stegodon florensis fossils found alongside stone tools at various archaeological sites, including Liang Bua, indicate that these dwarf elephants coexist and interact with ancient hominins, including Homo floresiensis, in eastern Indonesia between approximately 60,000 and 800,000 years ago.

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#13267296

2 February 2026

A replica of historic fossils of the Flores dwarf elephant is displayed at the National Museum in Jakarta, Indonesia, on December 28, 2025. Stegodon florensis fossils found alongside stone tools at various archaeological sites, including Liang Bua, indicate that these dwarf elephants coexist and interact with ancient hominins, including Homo floresiensis, in eastern Indonesia between approximately 60,000 and 800,000 years ago.

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#13267297

2 February 2026

A replica of historic fossils of the Flores dwarf elephant is displayed at the National Museum in Jakarta, Indonesia, on December 28, 2025. Stegodon florensis fossils found alongside stone tools at various archaeological sites, including Liang Bua, indicate that these dwarf elephants coexist and interact with ancient hominins, including Homo floresiensis, in eastern Indonesia between approximately 60,000 and 800,000 years ago.

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#13267298

2 February 2026

A replica of historic fossils of the Flores dwarf elephant is displayed at the National Museum in Jakarta, Indonesia, on December 28, 2025. Stegodon florensis fossils found alongside stone tools at various archaeological sites, including Liang Bua, indicate that these dwarf elephants coexist and interact with ancient hominins, including Homo floresiensis, in eastern Indonesia between approximately 60,000 and 800,000 years ago.

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#13267299

2 February 2026

A replica of historic fossils of the Flores dwarf elephant is displayed at the National Museum in Jakarta, Indonesia, on December 28, 2025. Stegodon florensis fossils found alongside stone tools at various archaeological sites, including Liang Bua, indicate that these dwarf elephants coexist and interact with ancient hominins, including Homo floresiensis, in eastern Indonesia between approximately 60,000 and 800,000 years ago.

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#13267300

2 February 2026

A replica of historic fossils of the Flores dwarf elephant is displayed at the National Museum in Jakarta, Indonesia, on December 28, 2025. Stegodon florensis fossils found alongside stone tools at various archaeological sites, including Liang Bua, indicate that these dwarf elephants coexist and interact with ancient hominins, including Homo floresiensis, in eastern Indonesia between approximately 60,000 and 800,000 years ago.

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#13267301

2 February 2026

A replica of historic fossils of the Flores dwarf elephant is displayed at the National Museum in Jakarta, Indonesia, on December 28, 2025. Stegodon florensis fossils found alongside stone tools at various archaeological sites, including Liang Bua, indicate that these dwarf elephants coexist and interact with ancient hominins, including Homo floresiensis, in eastern Indonesia between approximately 60,000 and 800,000 years ago.

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#13229616

23 January 2026

In Leshan, Sichuan Province, China, on July 20, 2011, the Giant Buddha of Leshan, carved in the 8th century into a cliff, watches over the confluence of the Min, Dadu, and Qingyi rivers. It stands 71 meters tall and embodies the faith and genius of Tang artisans. Designed to calm the dangerous waters, it impresses with its monumental proportions and serenity, emerging from the verdant mountain.

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#13229617

23 January 2026

In Leshan, Sichuan Province, China, on July 20, 2011, the Giant Buddha of Leshan, carved in the 8th century into a cliff, watches over the confluence of the Min, Dadu, and Qingyi rivers. It stands 71 meters tall and embodies the faith and genius of Tang artisans. Designed to calm the dangerous waters, it impresses with its monumental proportions and serenity, emerging from the verdant mountain.

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#13168593

8 January 2026

A classic red double-decker bus (Route 87) travels along St Margaret Street past the ancient stone walls of Westminster Hall and the Gothic Revival spires of the Palace of Westminster in London, England, United Kingdom, on December 24, 2025. The scene captures the intersection of daily London transport and the historic seat of British government.

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