Stupa of Bharhut (1879) and the Book of Indian Eras (1883) which allowed the dating of Indian antiquities. He retired from the Archaeological Survey on 30 September 1885 and returned to London to continue his research and writing. Numismatic interests Cunningham assembled a large numismatic collection, but much of this was lost when the steamship he was travelling in, the Indus, was wrecked off the coast of Ceylon in November 1884. The British Museum, however, obtained most of the gold and silver coins. He had suggested to the Museum that they should use the arch from the Sanchi Stupa to mark the entrance of a new section on Indian history. He also published numerous papers in the Journal of the Asiatic Society and the Numismatic Chronicle. Family and personal life Two of Cunningham's brothers, Francis and Joseph, became well known for their work in British India; while another, Peter, became famous for his Handbook of London (1849). Cunningham married Alicia Maria Whish, daughter of Martin Whish, B.C.S., on 30 March 1840. The couple had two sons, Lieutenant-Colonel Allan J. C. Cunningham (1842–1928) of the Bengal and Royal Engineers, and Sir Alexander F. D. Cunningham (1852–1935) of the Indian Civil Service. Cunningham died on 28 November 1893 at his home in South Kensington and was buried at Kensal Green Cemetery, London. His wife had predeceased him. He was survived by his two sons. Awards and memorials Cunningham was awarded the CSI on 20 May 1870 and CIE in 1878. In 1887, he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire. Publications Books written by Cunningham include: LADĀK: Physical, Statistical, and Historical with Notices of the Surrounding Countries (1854). Bhilsa Topes (1854), a history of Buddhism The Ancient Geography of India (1871) Archaeological Survey Of India Vol. 1 (1871) Four Reports Made During the Years, 1862-63-64-65, Volume 1 (1871) Archaeological Survey Of India Vol. 2 Archaeological Survey Of India Vol. 3 (1873) Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum. Volume 1. (1877) The Stupa of Bharhut: A Buddhist Monument Ornamented with Numerous Sculptures Illustrative of Buddhist Legend and History in the Third Century B.C. (1879) The Book of Indian Eras (1883) Coins of Ancient India (1891) Mahâbodhi, or the great Buddhist temple under the Bodhi tree at Buddha-Gaya (1892) Coins of Medieval India (1894) Report of Tour in Eastern Rajputana Additional works: The World of India’s First Archaeologist: Letters from Alexander Cunningham