It took 40 yrs to find first traces of Ashoka’s Pataliputra. Now, we must find the rest

News Snapshot:

Old records and excavations are usually overlooked, but in the case of Pataliputra, they are goldmines of data – especially considering the threat of urbanisation and its potential to stall future digs. Decades of scholarly research and exploration led to the unearthing of the ancient Magadhan capital near modern-day Patna. Today, these ruins recounted by Chinese scholar and traveller Hiuen Tsang are buried beneath the modern city of Patna, much of them lost to contemporary urbanisation. Ironically enough, the ancient city epitomised urban development in the 3rd century BCE. All that is left of the powerful metropolis are chronicles glorifying...