Mustang Caves
Upper Mustang | |
---|---|
Guru Rimpoche eviscerated a demoness, the Balmo | |
Upper Mustang, Nepal where the Sky Caves are located | |
Coordinates: 28°55′48″N 83°54′36″E / 28.93000°N 83.91000°E |
Mustang Caves or Sky Caves of Nepal are a collection of some 10,000 man-made caves dug into the sides of valleys in the
History
Mustang was formerly the Kingdom of Lo in northern
Mustang human remains
In the mid-1990s, archaeologists from Nepal and the University of Cologne began exploring the stacked caves and found several dozen partially mummified human bodies, all at least 2,000 years old.[2]
In 2010, a team of mountaineers and archaeologists uncovered 27 human remains in two biggest caves near Samdzong. The relatively intact skeletons – dating from the 3rd to the 8th centuries, before
Religious artifacts
In 2007, explorers from the
Usage
Scientists divide cave use in Upper Mustang into three periods. As early as 1,000 BC, the caves were used as burial chambers. During the 10th century, the region is thought to have been frequently battled over, and consequently, placing safety over convenience, families moved into the caves, turning them into living quarters. By the 1400s, the caves functioned as meditation chambers.[11]
References
- ^ Finkel, Michael. "Sky Caves of Nepal". National Geographic. Archived from the original on September 20, 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
- ^ a b BBC. "The ancient mysteries of Mustang's caves". BBC. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
- ^ a b Sharma, Gopal. "Explorers find ancient caves and paintings in Nepal". Reuters. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ Rahman, Maseeh. "Shepherd leads experts to ancient Buddha cave paintings". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ "Cave architecture of Muktinath Valley of Mustang". UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
- ^ Kaushik. "The mysterious caves of Mustang, Nepal". Amusing Planet. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
- ^ Xinhua News Agency. "Nepali deputy PM asks district "king" to step down". China View News. Archived from the original on March 4, 2009. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ Rongmei, Precious. "Sky caves of Nepal's Mustang have secrets you need to know about". The Times of India. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
- ^ "ABC Travel Guide: Museums of Nepal".
- ^ Owen, James. ""Shangri-La" caves yield treasures, skeletons". National Geographic. Archived from the original on November 19, 2009. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ Milligan, Mark (2020-09-05). "The Mysterious Sky Caves of Nepal". HeritageDaily - Archaeology News. Retrieved 2024-01-14.