Buddha
statue find at Afghan site
A giant statue of a Buddha has been discovered in central Afghanistan,
near to the ruins of the world-famous Bamiyan Buddhas.
Archaeologists
say the 19m (62ft) statue is in a sleeping position and dates
back to the Third Century.
Other
relics such as coins and ceramics were also found.
The
Taleban blew up two giant standing Buddhas carved into the mountainside
at Bamiyan - once a thriving centre of Buddhism - in 2001.
The
statues, the tallest such standing Buddhas in the world at the
time, were considered by the Taleban to be un-Islamic representations
of the human form.
Archaeologists
are working on restoring the larger of the two Buddhas in a project
that is expected to take a decade.
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The
BBC's Alastair Leithead visits Bamiyan
A
local official in Bamiyan said the newly found statue had been
badly damaged, but some parts of it, such as the neck and right
hand, were in a good condition.
He
said measures were being taken to protect it, and it was hoped
the statue would go on public display next year.
The
latest find gives hope to archaeologists searching for a 300m
long statue recorded by a Chinese pilgrim centuries ago.
Iconic
Buddhist art works, now thought to be the oldest oil paintings
in the world, have also been found in the caves at Bamiyan.
Story
from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/7604519.stm
Published:
2008/09/08 13:53:58 GMT
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