Editing Sarnath (section)

===20th century: extensive excavations and restoration===
[[File:Plan of excavation Sarnath.jpg|thumb|left|[[F. O. Oertel|Friedrich Oertel]]'s plan of excavation. The [[Lion Capital of Ashoka|lion capital]] was found in 1905 to the west of the main shrine, which is to the north of the "Jagat Singh" stupa.]]
[[F. O. Oertel|Friedrich Oertel]] conducted extensive excavations in 1904-1905. His team focused on the area near stupa "J" (the [[Dhamek Stupa]]), stupa "K" ("Jagat Singh stupa", now known as the Dharmarajika Stupa), monastery "L", temple "M", hospital "N", monastery "O", and the [[Pillars of Ashoka|Ashokan pillar]]. In March 1905, the team exhumed parts of the base and shaft of the pillar with its [[:Commons:Category:Schism Edict of Ashoka|Schism]] [[Edicts of Ashoka|Edict]], [[Lion Capital of Ashoka|lion capital]], and remnants of the ''[[dharmachakra]]'' sculpture.{{sfn|Oertel|1908|pp=68-70}} Dating to c. 241-233 BCE,{{sfn|Phuoc|2010|p=38}} these are the oldest and most important relics discovered at Sarnath thus far.{{sfn|Sahni|1914|p=2}} [[J. Ph. Vogel]] translated the inscription—which was written in the [[Brahmi script|Brahmi]] of the [[Maurya Empire|Maurya period]]-and tentatively dated it to 249 BCE.{{sfn|Vogel|1906|pp=166-167}}