was a large box of red earthenware, Inside this was a double steatite vase of a mottled purple colour, containing an abundance of human bones amongst which the following are recognizable : Portion of temporal bone. Portion of parietal bone. The internal surface still retains the branching lines called sulci meningei. These portions of the skull are very much solidified, which proves that they belonged to an old person. Three incisors, or front teeth. One molar, or back tooth, not fully developed, and therefore the backmost, or wisdom tooth. Portions of ulna, forming the lower end of long arm bone. Portions of tibia? Portions of femur, or thigh bone, with the linea aspera still strongly marked. Portions of phalanges unguium, or finger bones. No. 10 TOPE, d.-BHOJPUR. 18. This ruinous Tope had a diameter of 19 feet, with a terrace 2 feet 8 inches broad and 3 feet in height. The whole height was only 7 feet. On removing a few stones we found a chamber, 1 foot square and 1 foot deep, filled with leaves and rubbish, and containing one complete earthenware box, and a part of a second. In the box there were a few small pieces of bone mixed with leaves and gravel. This See Plate XXVII., fig. 8. The lid of the large box is itself formed into a small box. Tope had therefore certainly been opened before by the villagers. No. 11. TOPE, e.-BHOJPUR. 19. A tree was growing in the middle of this ruined Tope which is only 15 feet in diameter, with a terrace 3 feet broad, and 5 feet high. On the west a double flight of steps 3 feet broad meet at a landing 6 feet long by 4 feet broad. The removal of a few stones showed a chamber 18 inches square, and 13 inches deep, the bottom being on a level with the terrace. In the chamber we found a round earthen jar full of bits of bone, leaves, and rubbish. Like the last Tope, this had evidently been opened before. 20. The remaining Topes on the second stage of the hill may be described in a few words. No. 12 Tope, f, and No. 13, g, have each a diameter of 17 feet. No. 14, h, has a diameter of 17, and No. 15, i, of 18 feet, the present height being only 4 feet. No. 16, j, has a diameter of 231 feet, with a terrace 3 feet broad. No. 17, k, has a diameter of 19 feet, and a height of 6 feet. On removing a few stones we found two relic-chambers at a height of 5 feet above the ground. The chambers stood respectively to the N.E. and west. S.W. of each other, although the direction of their sides corresponded with the north, south, east, and See Plate XXX., fig. 5. One chamber was 9 inches square, and the other only 7 inches square. Inside we found the remains of earthenware pots and bits of bone mixed with leaves and rubbish. This Tope had also been opened by the villagers. No. 18, 1, has a diameter of 10 feet, and No. 19, m, of 13 feet; No. 20, n, is a mere circular foundation; No. 21, o, has a diameter of 18 feet; and No. 22, p, of 91⁄2 feet, with a terrace of 1 foot 1 inches. THIRD STAGE OF TOPES.-BHOJPUR. 21. The third stage or platform of the hill is very narrow, and has only a few Topes, all of which are of small size. No. 23, q, has a diameter of 19 feet, and a terrace of 1 foot. A chamber was found in this Tope at a height of only 3 feet above the ground. It was 14 foot long, 14 foot broad, and 9 inches deep; and it contained three earthenware jars filled with earth and leaves. No. 24, r, is 6 feet in diameter, and is the smallest at Bhojpur; No. 25, s, is 9 feet in diameter, with a terrace of only 6 inches; No. 26, t, is 8 feet in diameter with a terrace of 14 inches; No. 27, u, is 71⁄2 feet in diameter; No. 28, v, is 10 feet; and No. 29, w, is 7 feet.. LOWERMOST STAGE OF TOPES.-BHOJPUR. 22. There are only eight Topes now remaining on this platform of the hill all lying in a direction from north to south, and parallel to the other series. No. 30 Tope, a, is 8 feet in diameter and 2 feet high, with a terrace of 1 foot 6 inches; No. 31, ß, is 10 feet in diameter; No. 32, y, is 9 feet; No. 33, 8, is 13 feet; No. 34, &, is 10 feet; and No. 35, 4, is 17 feet in diameter. All these Topes are standing close together at the northern end of the platform. At 600 feet to the south are the remains of No. 36 Tope, n, and again at 600 feet to the south of this is No. 37 Tope, 0, which is now a mere mound of stones with a diameter of between 30 and 40 feet. A shaft was sunk down the centre of this Tope to the solid rock without any discovery. 23. A more careful examination of all the little heaps of stones lying about these different stages of the hill would no doubt discover some ten or even twenty more of these small Topes; but as they have all long ago been rifled by the villagers the labour would be completely thrown away. The old village of Bhojpur was no doubt entirely built of stones taken from these little Topes, and from the surrounding walls of the great Topes. This will fully account for the few discoveries of interest amongst so many Topes; as not more than five, or perhaps six, of the largest had escaped the hands of the spoilers. CHAPTER XXVI. ANDHER TOPES. 1. THE little village of Andher is situated at the foot of a hill 10 miles to the south-west of Bhilsa, and 5 miles to the west of Bhojpur. The Topes are perched on the northern declivity of the hill just two miles from Andher, and on the very edge of the cliff, about 500 feet above the plain. The position is a very fine one, from which the eye wanders over the whole of the Bhilsa district to the north, till checked by the blue hills beyond Gyáraspur, a distance of twenty-five miles. The Great Tope at Sánchi, the Lohángi rock at Bhilsa, and the holy hill of Udayagiri, are the most conspicuous objects in the landscape. Nearer, and almost beneath one's feet, are the numerous Topes of Bhojpur.* NO 1 TOPE.-ANDHER. 2. This is one of the few Topes which has a Buddhist railing still standing.† Its preservation *See Plates I. and V. + See Plate XXVIII., figs. 1 and 2. |