'Cunningham & 9 feet long lead coffers".....says a puzzled KJS Chatrath

 I have been trying to get rid of my old papers collected since my last 81 years on planet earth. Before tearing off  any paper, I read it. While going through this exercise today, I found the following info noted by me in one of my diaries: 

"Page 82. Cunningham Varanasi. ...north of the Ganges he visited Hodgsons three Ashoka pillars and besides one of them he found burial mounds in which were huge lead coffers, nine feet long, containing unusually long human skeletons, dated to about 1000 B.C...these were the oldest finds ye made on Indian soil"

I do not remember in what context, and from which book I had taken these notes. Would any learned historian friend throw light on this.

'Arthuna temple, 11th-12th century AD, Rajasthan, India' - by K J S Chatrath

Do notice the small figure at the bottom of the photo. The person so depicted has an unusual hairstyle, is sporting a beard, and seems to be carrying something like a 'gadda' (as of Lord Bhima?) in his hand. It may also be noted that both a Buddhist and a Hindu figure are seen side by side in the same temple. 

Any comments please?