Livius Picture Archive: Taxila

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	Taxila
	Unless otherwise indicated, pictures on this page © Marco Prins and Jona Lendering. Photos can be downloaded and used for non-commercial purposes, but you have to acknowledge Livius.
	Taxila was the ancient capital of the western Punjab, the country between the rivers Indus and Hydaspes. It is probably the most important archaeological site in Pakistan. The site consists of several parts: Bhir mound, the oldest part, probably belonging to the Achaemenid period; Sirkap, a Buddhist city, founded by Greeks from Bactria; together with the Zoroastrian shrine at Jandial; Sirsukh, a large square fortress founded by the Yuezhi nomads or Kushans, to which the Buddhists added monasteries like Jaulian; Mohra Moradu.
Ascetic Buddha from Taxila, Lahore museum (©!!!)	Literature: The most important publication on Taxila is by its excavator, John Marshall, A Guide to Taxila (1960; my copy is certainly more recent, so there must have been reprints). I am still hoping to see a report on the recent (1998-2001) excavations at Bhir mound, which are said to have shown evidence that positively proves an Achaemenid occupation. If you can help me, please contact me. Visit: If you want to visit Taxila, make sure you have a bicycle or can hire a taxi for a day, because the sites are spread out over a large area. It also helps if you know what to expect (by reading Marshall's book, for example), because the site is poorly labeled. On most sites, you can hire a local guide who will gladly show you the highlights and expects a fee of 50-100 rupees (2004). The museum is excellent and has a splendid collection of ancient coins, which is sometimes closed - ask one of the guards for the key. The guards can also guide you through the museum.

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Taxila

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