World history: The ruins of the medieval Buddhist temple of Jurchens are found in Primorye

The Archaeologists have found in the Shtokovsky District of the Primorye area ruins of a Buddhist temple of the XII-XIII centuries, which according to the scientists, may be the first found in the province monastery of Jurchens, said the head of the department of Medieval Archaeology, Institute of History, Archaeology and Ethnography of the Far Eastern Branch of the RAS Nadezhda Artemieva.

The Jurchens - ancient people who lived on the territory of present Primorye in the X-XIII centuries. Among their activities are agriculture, animal husbandry, handicrafts, and trade with China and Japan. The Jurchens developed script. The ruins of the cities of these people are found throughout the Primorsky Krai.

"The temple at Cape Precipitous was found in the Shtokovsky area of ​​the region. This is the second iconic building, studied in the Primorye Krai, relating to the XII-XIII centuries. The area of ​​the temple complex is more than 2 million square meters. The monument is excavated 630 square meters", - said Nadezhda Artemieva.

According to her, during the excavations they found the platform of the temple, the edges of which are featured with large basalt boulders and a large number of tiles from the roof.

"According to the landscape around the temple on a Cape Preciptious, there could be near temple buildings. If further research will be able to identify them, the territory of Primorye Krai will open the first medieval Buddhist monastery"- said Artemieva.

She stressed that the discovered temple was built according to the canons of Buddhist architecture: on the one hand it is covered with a small hill and on the other - the water, as a monument is built near the sea.

The archaeologists hope that next year they will have the opportunity to continue excavations at the site.