An "Extraordinary Folly"? Author(s): Donald M. Stadtner Source: Archaeology, Vol. 53, No. 3 (May/June 2000), pp. 54-59 Published by: Archaeological Institute of America Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41779317 Accessed: 30-07-2015 16:27 UTC Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/ info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact
[email protected]. Archaeological Institute of America is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Archaeology. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 128.83.205.78 on Thu, 30 Jul 2015 16:27:33 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions /';-=09 )(8*=-0/'] This content downloaded from 128.83.205.78 on Thu, 30 Jul 2015 16:27:33 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions New evidence suggests that Asia's greatest brick monument was not abandoned unfinished. by Donald M. Stadtner mall is beautiful" is a maxim unknownin Burma,where lavish and massive Buddhist temples reflected both royal piety and temporal power. It is therefore surprising that the Mingun pagoda, the nations largestshrine, symbol- ized neither.One colorfullegend has it that the pagoda was leftunfinished by a despotic king unable to meet the demands of the enormousproject, a fancifultale spread by the British,who were eager to discreditthe Burmese court to justify annexation of Upper Burma in the nineteenthcentury.