Art, Sculpture & Rock Art
Barabar caves: earliest rock-cut caves
3rd c. BCEMauryan artisansBarabar caves (Bihar)Bihar
300 BCE
The oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India, granite-hewn with a famous mirror-like polish.
- Dated
- 300–201 BCE
- As scholars put it
- 3rd c. BCE
- Originator
- Mauryan artisans
- Source text
- Barabar caves (Bihar)
- Region
- Bihar
- Discipline
- Art, Sculpture & Rock Art
- Evidence
- Documented
- Confidence
- High
- Verification
- Reference-cited
Meanwhile in the West
Precede later rock-cut traditions.
Fair to say
The polishing method is admired but not fully documented.
Path to modern innovation
The starting point of India's long rock-cut architecture tradition.
Transmission
Patronised by Ashoka and Dasharatha.
References
- 1ASI
- 2Mauryan archaeology
Further reading
Corrections and additional sources: edit IND-185 on GitHub.