Phyllite vs. Granite: Refining the Chronology of the Black Stone Monoliths in Amaravati

Recent micro-CT scanning of fragmented stupas from the IIIrd century CE shifts the known quarry sources from local limestone to imported phyllite, challenging the established timeline of trade routes between the Deccan and the Andhra coast. This analysis correlates the metamorphic signatures in the stone with the political fragmentation of the Satavahana successor states, suggesting a later, more fragmented period of patronage than previously documented.

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