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Photos Multi-Layered
"It is amazing how the ancient people knew the nature of materials well, such as protein, gum, resin, oil, pigments and dyes, and also how to prepare and combine them effectively," Hidemi Otake, a painting conservator at the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties of Japan, told Discovery News. Murals in many of the Bamiyan caves featured various painting materials and techniques that had been employed through the ages. "Some caves have rough wall surfaces and matte finishes, and others have very smooth surface, and some have a transparency and shininess. Some paintings have glaze-like layers on top of paint," Otake said. According to top Afghan archaeologist Zemaryalai Tarzi, president of the Association for the Protection of Afghan Archaeology, the discovery is important as it testifies Afghanistan's rich cultural heritage. "My Japanese colleagues are conducting scientific research and an inventory of these fragments with courage and perseverance. But the discovery is yet not as important or significant as what the murals of Bamiyan used to be before their disappearance and destruction," Tarzi said. Tarzi was Afghanistan's director general of archaeology and preservation of historical monuments until 1979, when he was forced to flee the country a few months before the Soviet invasion. He believes further research is necessary to establish the possible role of India and China in developing the technique. "It would be very important to know if one can attribute this invention to Bamiyan alone," Tarzi said. Related Links: National Research Institute for Cultural Properties |
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