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How new finds are changing Buddhist history – I-by Rachel Lopez One of the colossal Buddha statues in Bamiyan Source:Dailynews Buddhist history is turning a corner. New finds suggest that it spread wider, lasted longer and was more influential than we realised. it is time to update the map. Across Asia, geography is changing history. A slew of excavations and chance discoveries show that the history of Buddhism, the belief system that flourished from 600 BCE until a decline in the 13th century CE, still contains many surprises. Newly unearthed sites in Uzbekistan are evidence that it spread farther than previously thought. Stupas and sculptures dating back 2,000 years show that it flowed into new territories earlier. And magnificent monastery complexes are proof that the Buddhist institutions exerted greater influence over commerce, urban development, economic systems and everyday life than previously thought. ...