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Buddha statue find at Afghan site | Buddha statue find at Afghan site |
(1 day later) | |
A giant statue of a Buddha has been discovered in central Afghanistan, near to the ruins of the world-famous Bamiyan Buddhas. | 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. | 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. | 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 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. | 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 | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | Iconic Buddhist art works, now thought to be the oldest oil paintings in the world, have also been found in the caves at Bamiyan. |
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