Paintings of Buddha dating back at least to the 12th century have been discovered in a cave in a remote area of Nepal’s north-central region.
Researchers made the find after being tipped off by a local sheep herder. They discovered a mural with 55 panels showing the story of Buddha’s life.
The mural was uncovered in March, with the team using ice axes to break through a snow path to reach the cave.
The find was in the Mustang area, 250km (160 miles) north-west of Kathmandu.
Sheer cliffs
“What we found is fantastically rich in culture and heritage and goes to the 12th century or earlier,” American writer and conservationist Broughton Coburn told the AP news agency.
Mr Coburn said the main mural measured around 8m (25ft) wide, and each panel was about 35cm (14in) by 43cm (17in).
It was set in sheer 14,000ft (4,300m) cliffs in Nepal’s remote Himalayan north.
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