CASE STUDY REPORT: THE KAMARI STUPA (BROKEN FRONT TOOTH RELIC)

This case study documents and evaluates the Kamari Stupa (Shewaki–Kamari complex) in the Kabul Valley, Afghanistan, with a focus on the archaeological verification and registry of a sealed relic deposit attributed to the Kushan–Sassanian transition (c. 2nd–4th century CE). The report compiles registry data and contextual evidence from 19th-century excavations associated with Charles Masson, emphasizing the recorded contents of the relic chamber: a cylindrical beaten silver reliquary with a domed lid, ash/charcoal deposit material, and a fragment identified in the case record as a “broken front tooth” relic. Deposit dating is supported primarily through numismatic association—late Kushan issues with Sassanian influence—indicating a likely deposit event around the 3rd century CE. A limited visual assessment of the relic photograph supports the interpretation of a crown fragment consistent with a broken anterior tooth, while acknowledging that definitive biological identification requires laboratory testing. The study also reconstructs the custody pathway from Masson-era recovery through East India Company/India Museum transfers to British Museum record linkage and modern registry tracking, providing high confidence in the archaeological record while identifying documentation and conservation priorities for future verification.