Archaeologists have discovered a shrine in Nepal that may hold clues pertaining to Buddha's birth.
A previously unknown wooden structure found at Buddha's birthplace hints that he may have lived in the sixth century, two centuries earlier than previously thought.
Traces of what seem to be an ancient shrine made of timber was found under a brick temple that is located within the sacred Buddhist Maya Devi Temple in Lumbini, which is in southern Nepal.
"Now, for the first time, we have an archaeological sequence at Lumbini that shows a building there as early as the 6th century BC," said archaeologist Professor Robin Coningham of Durham University, who co-led the international team.
Design-wise the shrine bears a semblance to the Asokan temple built atop it. However, significantly, it stands for an era, a site where seemingly a tree once grew - possibly the one where Buddha was born.
"This is the earliest evidence of a Buddhist shrine anywhere in the world. It sheds light on a very long debate, which has led to differences in teachings and traditions of Buddhism," said Coningham.
The wide belief is that Buddha was born underneath a hardwood sal tree at lumbini, as his mother Queen Maya Devi was traveling to her fater's kingdom to give birth.
However, much of what is known about Buddha's life is via oral traditions and have little scientific evidence to distinguish fact from myth. Several scholars are of the opinion that Buddha lived and taught in the fourth century BC and dies when he was 80 years.
"What our work has demonstrated is that we have this shrine (at Buddha's birthplace) established in the 6th century BC," said Coningham.
This discovery supports the hypothesis that Buddha may have lived and taught in an earlier era.
Optically stimulated luminescence techniques and radiocarbon were used to date the pieces of grains of sand and charcoal that were found at the site.
Additionally, Geoarcheological research established the existence of tree roots in the temple's open area.
The discovery could fuel conservation efforts which have thus far been neglected despite being a Unesco World Heritage site.
"These discoveries are very important to better understand the birthplace of the Buddha," said Ram Kumar Shrestha, Nepal's minister of culture, tourism and civil aviation. "The government of Nepal will spare no effort to preserve this significant site."
However, several scholars caution against accepting this too be the oldest known Buddhist shrine without further research.
"Archaeologists love claiming that they have found the earliest or the oldest of something," noted archaeologist Ruth Young of the United Kingdom's University of Leicester in an emailed statement.
