The Himalayas hide one of the world’s greatest archaeological mysteries: 10,000 man-made caves carved out of the rock. Why were these ancient structures erected, and who built them?
In the mid-1990s, archaeologists from Nepal and the University of Cologne began exploring caves 50 meters down. They discovered the remains of dozens of people who lived approximately 2,000 years ago. Several more groups of scientists have continued to study the caverns since then.
Cory Richards, a daring photographer, joined a group of old and distant cave explorers. Getting there is quite perilous. Falls have resulted in bone fractures in some people. “Everything is unsafe, scary,” photographer Richards recalls. Everything around you appears to be collapsing. When you climb, you have the feeling that everything is going to fall apart.
These facts make us wonder how 2,000 years ago’s inhabitants dug and then lived in suspended caves.
Although many of the caves were deserted, several appeared to have been occupied in the past, with bed quarters, hearths, and grain storage baskets discovered. Several caves have been uncovered with Buddhist murals.
However, it was impossible to determine why the majority of the caves were constructed but never inhabited. And who would put God in such a perilous position!?
