Archaeological discoveries in Nepal confirm early date of Buddha's life; Times of India, November 26, 2013

Archaeologists working in Nepal have uncovered evidence of a structure at the birthplace of the Buddha dating back to the sixth century B.C. This is the first archaeological material linking the life of the Buddha - and thus the first flowering of Buddhism - to a specific century. Pioneering excavations within the Sacred Garden of Lumbini, Nepal, a Unesco World Heritage site long identified as the birthplace of the Buddha, uncovered the remains of a previously unknown timber structure under a series of brick temples. Laid out on the same design as those above it, the timber structure contains an open space in the center that links to the nativity story of the Buddha himself.