The site: An overview

2002 The checking of the old inventoried materials

2003 A view of the Upper Terrace

2003 Cleaning of the site

2003 Geo-referentiation of the site

2003 Resumption of work

1962, excavation work on the Upper Terrace (R1786_6)

1962, the first soundings at Tapa Sardar

Fragments of the inscribed pot mentioning the 'Vihara of the Great King Kanishka'

2003 Great Stupa, detail of the architectural elements

Great Stupa, section and axonometry showing the details of the architectural elements (Dep. CS 4005)

Plan of the Great Stupa (Dep. CS 70-E3)

2003 The Great Stupa, south-east corner

General ground plan of the site (Dep. CS 4010-f)

The topographic plan of the site (Dep. CS 4046)

2003 The tepe seen from the plain

2003 The tepe seen from the plain
The general features of the site

Minor cultic areas - Room 87, with star-shaped fire altar (neg 11461-3)

Upper Terrace, row of stupas during excavation (MNAOR 3411 CS 1799-6)

Chapel 23 after excavation (neg. CS 8148-4 MT)

Chapel 23, detail (neg 8159-15)

Chapel 23, detail (neg 8148-7)

Chapel 17, main cultic image (Buddha Maitreya) (neg 6747-4)

Chapel 37, elevation (drawing by N. Labianca)

Chapel 37 (neg 804-2a)

Chapel 37, detail of the main cultic image (neg 12486-13a)

Chapel 37, detail of the main cultic image (neg 11451-2)

Ground plan of the chapels of the north-east side (Dep. CS 6142)

Chapels 50 and 63 (Dep. CS 6126 6127)

Chapel 63, the colossal parinirvana seen from the northern entrance (MNAOR 3467)

Upper Terrace, row of stupas and thrones; in the fore, Stupa 5 (neg 7414-1)

Minor cultic areas - Area 64 , detail of monument 69 representing a miniature fortification wall (neg 9936-9a)

Upper Terrace, row of stupas and thrones; in the fore, Stupa 7 ()neg 7402-7

Stupa 7, detail (neg 7392-1)

Upper Terrace, row of stupas and thrones; in the fore, Throne 6

Upper Terrace, row of stupas and thrones; in the fore, Throne 24

Upper Terrace, row of stupas and thrones; in the fore, Throne 9

Upper Terrace, row of stupas and thrones; here, detail of the moulded decoration of Throne 9 (neg 7418-6)

Upper Terrace, row of stupas and thrones; in the fore, detail of the painted decoration of Throne 3

Minor cultic areas - Room 41 and Stupa 41

Upper Terrace, row of stupas and thrones; in the fore, Throne 38

Minor cultic areas - Room 36

Minor cultic areas - Room 75 (neg 12045-9)

Minor cultic areas - Area 64 (Dep. CS 4010-e)

Plan and elevation of Chapels 23 and 17 (Dep. CS 4023)
Sculptures of the Early Period

Another picture of the colossal foot from Room 100, highlighting its proportions

Colossal gilded foot from Room 100 - Antique Period 2

Silenus-like moustached head - TS 1502

Head of a young god, presumably the vedic Shakra - TS 1600

Male head with shaven hair - TS 1403

Female head with curly head - TS 1063

The gold leaf from TS 1870, stuck in the earth deposit

Gilded head of a deva from Niche 76, with traces of red, black and brown paint in hair, eyes and eyebrows - TS 1870

Moustached head of a Kushan aristocrat with conical cap - TS 1065 + TS 1515

Head of deva from Niche 76, with traces of red paint on the eyebrows and black paint in the hair - TS 1871
Sculptures of the Recent Period

Grotesque being emerging from a rocky landscape in awe at the Buddha, from Chapel 23 - TS 1126

Lokapala (protector of a cardinal point) with helmet, from Stupa 5 - TS 1016

Male gilded figure with long hair, bracelet and necklace, reconstructed from many fragments - TS 1850

Standing bodhisattva with paridhana (loincloth) and uttariya (upper garment) still intact, from Chapel 37 - TS 1272

Bodhisattva with crossed legs, originally sitting on a lotus, from Chapel 37 - TS 1500

Head of a bodhisattva with long curly hair, from Chapel 37 - TS 1259

Head of a bodhisattva with black hair bound by a double garland, from Vihara 17 - TS 580

Head of bodhisattva from Chapel 37 - TS 1220
Restoration and preservation

TS 1800 after restoration (MNAOR 3807)

Fragments of mural painting TS 1800 during excavation (MNAOR 3497 - CS 4235)

2003 - Restoration of the Buddha head (TS 1144) at the Kabul Museum

Head of the Bejewelled Buddha from Chapel 23 (TS 1144)

1970 - Field restoration on a finding from Chapel 37 (R 8993-7)

1972 - Restoration of the parinirvana Buddha in Chapel 63 (R 9932-10)

1969 - Strenghtening of base 40 (R 8231-5)

1969 - Workers transporting TS 1144 (R 8225-4)

1960 - Fragments of a leg of a huge standing Buddha image (L 844-28)

1970 - Fragment of uttariya (upper garment) from TS 1272 (CS 4175)

Excavation of a bodhisattva head still preserving the original painting

1970 - Findings on the south-west corner of Chapel 37 (L 807-19a)

Restorer at work in Room 75 (12042-7)

1969 Room 36, consolidation of sculpture TS 1559 (R 8165-11)
Hypothetical reconstructions

Upper Terrace - The row of stupas and thrones, elevation sketch (Donatella Ebolese)

Upper Terrace - Throne 6, preliminary reconstruction (Anna Maria Fedele)

Upper Terrace - Throne 6 (neg 7412-1)

Stupa 7 - Preliminary reconstruction (Carlotta Passaro)

Stupa 7 (in the fore), Stupa 8 (in the middle) and Throne 6 (neg 7410-7)

Upper Terrace, the row of stupas and thrones during excavation (MNAOR 3411 CS 1799-6)05-Stupa 7 (in the fore), Stupa 8 (in the middle) and Throne 6 (neg 7410-7)

Upper Terrace - The row of stupas and thrones, (Dep. CS 4010 f.3)

Isometric view of of the Upper Terrace (Elio Paparatti)

Upper Terrace, preliminary 3D reconstruction (Danilo Rosati; modified by Donatella Ebolese)