Process & Resources
Partner with the other two members of your archaeological team and review what you have
learned about ancient Buddhism. Review Chapter 7, Lesson 3, "Buddhism and India's Golden
Age." Also review the information about stupas on pages 212–213. Discuss what types of
Buddhist art and structures are associated with ancient Buddhist culture.
After your team of archaeologists has reviewed the chapter, the team will begin researching the Amaravati Stupa, the Ajanta Caves, and one other ancient Buddhist site. Use the resources in your Archaeologist's Notebook to choose a third site for your article.
Click on Archaeologist's Notebook to get to your resources and worksheets.
Archaeologist's Notebook: Exploring Ancient Buddhist Culture
As an archaeologist studying ancient Buddhist culture, you will need to learn about the archaeological sites, the architecture, and the meaning of certain building elements.
After your team of archaeologists has reviewed the chapter, the team will begin researching the Amaravati Stupa, the Ajanta Caves, and one other ancient Buddhist site. Use the resources in your Archaeologist's Notebook to choose a third site for your article.
Click on Archaeologist's Notebook to get to your resources and worksheets.
Archaeologist's Notebook: Exploring Ancient Buddhist Culture
As an archaeologist studying ancient Buddhist culture, you will need to learn about the archaeological sites, the architecture, and the meaning of certain building elements.
Research and Draw Conclusions
Your team will use the resources listed in your Archaeologist's Notebook and record their
findings on the worksheet. Use as much detail as possible to fill in the notebook. Also,
think carefully about what conclusions you can draw about ancient Buddhist culture from
your research. Discuss these conclusions with your partners. Make copies of your team's
completed worksheet so that each of you can use it to help organize and write your part
of the article.
ALERT! It is highly recommended that you visit the Evaluation section
before researching your article. Knowing what is expected of you and your team is very important!
Write Your Article
Once you have compiled your research, collaborate with your partners to write an introduction
to the article. The introduction should begin with an explanation of what Buddhism is, when and
where it began, and how it developed. Also, list the three sites you are writing about.
As you begin to write your part of the article, keep in mind which elements of the site relate to Buddhist culture. Use the information you have recorded on your notebook to create an outline. Your part of the article should include the following components:
Write your part of the article neatly on lined paper or with a word processor. It should be 2–3 pages long, not including the glossary and bibliography.
As you begin to write your part of the article, keep in mind which elements of the site relate to Buddhist culture. Use the information you have recorded on your notebook to create an outline. Your part of the article should include the following components:
- a description of the Buddhist site including its name and location
- a description of three things you saw at the site, including what they were, what they looked like and their meaning in Buddhist culture
- a conclusion summarizing your findings
- a glossary containing at least five vocabulary words or terms you used in your article that will help your audience to better understand your topic. These may include words and phrases about Buddhism and archaeology as well as any other new terms you came across.
- a bibliography, or source list
Write your part of the article neatly on lined paper or with a word processor. It should be 2–3 pages long, not including the glossary and bibliography.