A Difficult Climb When Athans first saw the caves, he was stumped. Many of them seemed impossible to reach, unless you were a bird. An expert climber, Athans was curious. He wondered how he could reach the caves and what he would find once he did. Te team wanted to investigate the caves just


above where the skull had been discovered. It was risky, but Athans wanted to try. He soon learned what he was up against. Te rock broke apart easily, just like peanut brittle. As he tried to climb, a rain of dirt and rocks clattered off the top of his helmet. Aſter slow and careful climbing, Athans


reached a cave opening. Tis particular cave, he quickly realized, was a burial chamber. One of the first things he saw was pieces of a coffin. And that’s not all he found.


What’s Been Found Athans’ trip inside the burial chamber was just the beginning. During this expedition, the team explored many caves and uncovered many treasures. Te remains of 27 people were discovered.


All were wearing beads and jewelry. Tree iron daggers with heavy blades were found. Ten a bamboo teacup with a delicate handle. A copper bangle. A small bronze mirror. A copper cooking pot and a ladle. Bits of fabric. A pair of yak or cow horns. Athans even found a mask used to cover a


face aſter someone had died. It was made of gold and silver. Te eyes were rimmed in red. Te mouth was slightly turned down. Nearly all the items in the cave had been


imported or brought from elsewhere. How could a person from this remote place gather such riches? Salt, most likely. Controlling a piece of the


salt trade may have made these people wealthy enough to buy luxury items.


14 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER


This hand-written page was found in one of the caves.


A Look Ahead Archeologists now theorize that the caves were used for different purposes at different times. As long as 3,000 years ago, the caves were burial chambers. Ten, around 1,000 years ago, they became homes. Finally, by the 1400s, the caves were used as lookouts or storage units. Everything the team found was leſt


behind, in the care of the local people. Athans hopes the artifacts will remain in Nepal, to be displayed in a museum. Only tiny sample chips of bone were removed by the scientists. Tese will be studied, but the scientific process may take decades. Many questions remain. With so many


caves, far more artifacts may be awaiting discovery. Gradually, Athans hopes the story of who built and lived in these caves will be told. But for now, the cliffs hold more secrets yet to be uncovered.


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