Gandharan Buddhist Cultural Study and the Database of the relics from Zar Dheri

1999年，东京国立博物馆驻巴基斯坦考古代表团在巴基斯坦西北边境省的扎尔德里（Zar Dheri）佛教寺庙遗址挖掘了130多座石雕。在这个季节，特派团仔细研究，测量和拍摄了这些从僧侣牢房F/2中出土的碎片。由于许多雕塑都遭受了断裂、脱落或失去其原有的力量，特派团提出了修复建议。通过对石样的地质检查，与用于建筑和雕塑的石样非常相似，确认它们是片岩。对F/2细胞门口和相邻的G/2细胞外的两根烧焦木材进行了科学分析，通过放射性碳定年法确定了它们各自的种类和年代。F/2的焦化样为喜马拉雅雪松，G/2的焦化样为松属；F/2和G/2的砍伐日期分别确定在公元前100 -140年和公元前160 -150年之间（概率在95%以内）。对烧焦物质的科学测年表明，该遗址或多或少与犍陀罗佛教文化的鼎盛时期，即贵霜时期（1 -3世纪）同时代。特派团已整修仓库，以便更安全、更妥善地保管物品，即安装电力和通风设施，修理墙壁，加固安全锁。现在已建立了一个包含所有摄影文献的数据库。

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.