Bamiyan dig
yields mythical image
The
Japan Times, July 26, 2006
Kabul, Afghanistan -- The image of a mythical
creature has been found on a seventh century Buddhist mural in a
cave at the Bamiyan ruins in central Afghanistan, a team of
Japanese researchers said Tuesday, having successfully removed soot
from the work.
A seventh century Buddhist image in Afghanistan's Bamiyan
ruins depicts what some experts believe is Simorgh, a mythical bird
with the body and wings of an eagle, the legs of a lion and the
tail of a peacock. KYODO PHOTO
The design looks like an image of Simorgh, a fabled bird in Persian
mythology with the body and wings of an eagle, legs of a lion and
tail of a peacock, team members said. But others said it more
resembles the Griffin, a legendary creature also in Persian
mythology with the body of a lion and head and wings of an
eagle.
It is the first time a clear picture has been identified at
Bamiyan, the site of an early Buddhist monastery featuring some
1,000 stone caves on cliffs facing Bamiyan city some 240 km west of
Kabul.
It is an important discovery indicating how East and West met and
mixed at a crossroads on the ancient Silk Road, experts said.
The Japanese team is from the National Research Institute for
Cultural Properties.