Pagoda Forest

Time window of the Pagoda Forest

The pagodas are dated by many methods. Each memorial bears an inscription—name and date—on stone or on an inscribed plaque. Each surviving inscription is thus a historical document. However, the plaques didn't always survive on the memorial. They were torn off or broken open to give access to the chamber inside, presumably an act of robbery, since it vandalized the pagoda. Political destruction would have done more damage to the structure. The surviving inscriptions are works of art. The calligraphy is in the style of the period, providing another means of period identification. A pagoda can be dated archaeologically by size, shape, material of the bricks and the content of the cement; architecturally by the ornamental features.