The devastating earthquakes that shook Nepal in 2015 severely damaged and destroyed numerous heritage monuments. Amidst the disaster, archaeological research was possible in some places as an initial step towards future restoration and reconstruction activities. Moreover, a major incentive for this post-disaster archaeology was the need to provide an immediate answer to protect monuments and artefacts from looting and further decay caused by weathering. A central place of Buddhist worship, Svayambhū was one of the most affected world heritage monument zones of the Kathmandu valley. This presentation will discuss the archaeological excavation, carried under the aegis of UNESCO on the Maṅgal Bahudvāra Caitya, a hitherto overlooked monument.
David C. Andolfatto studied Asian archaeology at Marc Bloch University, Strasbourg (BA) and at Paris Sorbonne University (MA and PhD). His research focuses on the archaeology, history and art history of Nepal, especially in the Kathmandu Valley and in West Nepal. From 2015 to 2018, Andolfatto worked as a consultant for the UNESCO Kathmandu Office. During this period, he conducted archaeological excavations on heritage sites and coordinated different preservation projects.His PhD thesis on the archaeology of West Nepal led him to document historical sites and artefacts in this largely overlooked part of the country. The talk was entitled as "Maṅgal Bahudvāra Caitya. The Archaeological Excavation of a 19th Century Tashi Gomang Stūpa in Svayambhū, Nepal."
He spoke with students and participants at RYI on Nov, 8th 2023.