Lost Technology of Ancient India? The Enigmatic Barabar Caves | Ancient Architects

As I’ve shown in recent weeks, India is full of incredible rock-cut structures and today, I’m taking a closer look at the Barabar Caves, the oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India, dating back to the Maurya Empire between 322 and 185 BC.

They are located in the Makhdumpur region of the Jehanabad District of Bihar, India, 15 miles north of Gaya.

You can find the caves in the twin hills of Barabar and Nagarjuni, seven caves in total, and some bear dedicatory inscriptions to King Piyadasi and Devanampiya Dasaratha, thought to be the legendary Emperor Ashoka the Great and his grandson, who lived in the 3rd century BC.

The most famous cave is known as the Lomas Rishi Cave, being the earliest surviving ogee shaped chaitya arch, an important feature in Indian Buddhist rock-cut architecture, which became a sculptural decoration for centuries. It is an early stone-cut version of something that would have been originally built with wood for other, older structures.

Most of the caves contain two chambers and are cut entirely out of the hard granite bedrock. They have highly polished internal faces, known as the Mauryan polish, which is also used on sculptures on that age, and gives incredible acoustics and echo effects.

This polish and the stone cutting techniques hints at the Lost Ancient High Technology with regards to stonework in India, a way of finishing stone that was rarely seen again after the Maurya Empire, amazingly preserved in these caves at Barabar.

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[kawasakikev]

unreal stone work, how the hell did they do that . India has a bigger place in history than it gets the credit for . great vid Matt ..thanks as always

[marywright]

India to me has the most amazing ancient structures in the world The temples are my favorite

[JerseyJimFish]

In my "free time" lately, I've been fully immersed in the Vedic texts and Hinduism.
The Yugas are a fascinating and quite compelling account of past abilities now lost.
India intrigues me and I greatly appreciate your researching there.
Well done sir.😁

[Mirris]

"we are a species with amnesia" - Graham Hancock

[ericholderbaum]

B.A.M. did a great job measuring this. I've been fascinated with these caves since I seen their documentary.

[MissSassy]

2:25 This is India's current national emblem😊

Four Asiatic lions (only three lions are visible, the fourth being hidden from view) standing back to back, symbolising power, courage, confidence, and pride, mounted on a circular base. At the bottom is a horse and a bull, and at its centre is a wheel (Dharma chakra). The sculptures in high relief of The Lion of the North, The Horse of the West, The Bull of the South and The Elephant of the East, separated by intervening wheels, over a lotus in full bloom, exemplifying the fountainhead of life and creative inspiration. Carved from a single block of sandstone, the polished capital is crowned by the Wheel of the Law (Dharma Chakra).

[katiobrien]

I love watching this channel. I am fascinated by ancient civilizations and always always learn things I had never heard of. Thank you for all the research you do.

[lizlondonartist]

Love ancient India sites. First time I’ve heard of this site!
Thanks for sharing your research!♥️❤️💛

[JMMRanMA]

Another fascinating Ancient Architects video on ancient Indian architectural gems. What is particularly noteworthy of Matt's discussions is that possibilities and sometimes probabilities are discussed in a manner consistent with rational scientific thought. Matt is careful to avoid a preferred notion based on tradition or legend, but rather on objectively verifiable evidence. This keeps the subject open, and is even more interesting and enjoyable than otherwise. Keep up the great work, Matt Sahib, मैट, हमारे प्राचीन वास्तुकला विद्वान!

[dougalexander]

The Mauryan Polish is unbelievable. It was not only done on flat walls, but also on columns and sculpture. I guess polishing grits and elbow grease got it done but, wow 😳.

[MichaelJohnson-jtcu]

Stone masons have kept many of their techniques a secret over the years passing them down from master to journeyman when they are ready. Polishing a hard stone usually requires a harder stone in various grits to slowly bring the surface to a high finish. When I lap granite surface plates I usually use a diamond powder or synthetic diamond powder in several different grits to bring the granite back to a AA grade flat surface.

[scottr]

The script and writing were added thousands of years later on top of the pillars and structures they found. They just passed it off on their own

[henrjohw]

Gonna go out on a limb here and say the other artistically intricate sculptures weren't created in the same time period. I'd even argue that the entrance is a later add-on. The caves themselves are something older and more practical where precision, not art was the goal.

[tekannon]

As an artist who has done sculpture in wood and stone, what I see in these superb structures and monuments carved out of solid rock is craftsmanship on a level beyond our comprehension in the present day, and that means there must have been a huge infrastructure to back it up. There had to have been university-style training by master artists and sculptors who taught legions of young artists in their forgotten techniques to have such a precision and mastery of their work. Like ink drawings, there are no mistakes in sculpture that are admisable. You have to be spot on from begining to end. Sculpture in those mysterious times in India, Persia and other cultures might have been what the study of the afterlife was to ancient Egyptians, by thisI mean in that maybe the most talented and intelligent students were drafted into schools of higher learning in the arts. It is perhaps not a surprise that the secrets of the masters were lost in the sands of time. Even today, we have no idea how artists like Van Eyk made his glazes---simply because every artist guarded their formulaes for glazes and mixing paints in total secrecy.

[tyeshi]

I was there in 2023, there is one tour guide who was was very enthusiastic. It doesn’t get the recognition it should. The local govt. should make sure to safeguard the caves and also other sects from encroaching it as more people start visiting it.

[aMEWzed]

I love that you are covering the ancient sites in India. I have watch Praveen's channel for long time & the country has such a long history. One thing I learned from his videos is that the ancient ones built practical knowlege & functional inventions into these temples. Have we missed looking at other ancient cultures' building practices with a similar eye?

Thank you for the great videos. I have learned much & questioned more as I watch them.

[luismarquezcomedy]

This is why I'm subscribed to this channel. Great stuff as always. Thanks!

[UtubeAW]

These works are way older than Alexander the great

[STRAKAZulu]

Looking forward to seeing whatever you bring us on the rest of these caves.

[SK]

I love that you post things I have never heard of and they are always interesting as heck!