Ancient, near-pristine Buddha to make Kabul museum debut

Having withstood time, the elements, looters and war, a spectacular Buddha restored and removed from one of Afghanistan's most dangerous regions is to make its public debut in the country's national museum.

The statue of Buddha, which is thought to date from somewhere between the third and the fifth century, 
was remarkably well-preserved by soil and silt [Credit: AFP/Wakil Kohsar]

The statue, which depicts the sage in a purple shroud offering his hands to the heavens, had been hidden beneath layers of soil and silt since some time between the third and fifth centuries, according to the archeologists who discovered it.

The exceptionally well-preserved piece, with its colours still vibrant, was found in 2012 at the Mes Aynak site about 40 kilometres (25 miles) southeast of Kabul, in the now Taliban-infested Logar province.

Its discovery was made possible after a Chinese consortium began digging a massive copper mine that uncovered an ancient monastery complex stretching out over an area of four square kilometres (1,000 acres).

"The statue was almost whole when it was discovered, with its head present, which is rare," said Ermano Carbonara, an Italian restoration expert.