In 1979, while installing a hydropower generator in Chokopani, Mustang District, northwestern Nepal, three caves accidentally discovered by Nepali engineer. Archaeologists hypothesize that these caves were cemeteries, because the corpses were ornamented with shell pendants, copper earrings, copper amulets, beads and musk deer teeth (Tiwari 1985). Chokopani archives at the Lumbini Museum
Konchokli
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"A shepherd's tip-off has led to the discovery of 800-year-old Buddhist murals in a cave complex hidden behind a wall of snow." "The herder told a team of archaeologists, mountaineers and art experts from Nepal, America and Italy that he had seen a cave covered in old paintings when he sheltered from rain several years ago. The explorers spent three weeks roaming the mountainous region of Mustang, a semi-autonomous kingdom on the Tibetan border that restricts the number of foreign visitors to preserve its distinct culture. They found the murals in March on a cliffside above Lo Manthang, the medieval walled capital of Mustang, after using ropes to climb up to the cave and ice axes to hack through the snow blocking its entrance. The paintings, which depict Buddha's life, consist of one mural about 25 ft (7.5m) wide and 55 panels measuring about 14 in x 17 in. They are believed to date back to the 12th century and are among the most exciting discoveries of Buddhist art in recent years. The team also found manuscripts executed in ink, silver and gold and shards of pre-Christian pottery in the caves, which may have been used as burial chambers. The explorers say that they plan to excavate, collect and catalogue the manuscripts, which will be photographed and translated to try to ascertain their origins. Since 1991, the Nepal-German Project in High Mountain Archaeology excavated the southern portions of the Chokopani caves and tested bones by radiocarbon dating. Dr. Angela Simons reported that the results of the carbon dating revealed people have lived in these caves since at least 800 B.C. The team also excavated several caves which exist between the villages of Kagbeni and Dzong in the Mukthinath Valley of southern Mustang. They found many ancient artifacts in these caves as well. Later, the Nepal-German High Mountain Archaeology team headed by Dr. Huttel also excavated a mound near Khyinga Village in Mukthinath valley. concluded that this ruin was inhabited in the second century A.D. (Huttel 1993)
As is evidenced by these discoveries, Mustang District is home to a huge number of caves complex. Most of the caves are isolated and located in high cliffs. Most are also inaccessible without the use of ropes and ladders. Other caves are located in or near the villages of Tshug, Tsele, Tangye, Drakmar, Marang, and Luri, as well as beside Kali Gandaki river basin. In Tsho Shyar, north of Lo Manthang in northern Mustang District, one complex cave systems still exists with original dwellings and grain storage areas still intact. These caves are interlinked by tunnels, and, when inside, these caves feel like an intricate ant's nest. One cluster of 60 rooms remains in this settlement, and is an ideal location for further archaeological investigation. Other caves in this settlement are isolated and have been destroyed or rendered inaccessible due to erosion over the centuries. This erosion destroyed the front part of the cave and tunnels. Today, only the deeper part of the cave walls remain. Due to time and funding constraints, the Nepal-German Project on High Mountain Archaeology team was unable to excavate any of the caves in upper Mustang. As such, we have not been able to discern whether or not the caves of Chokopani and the cave complexes in upper Mustang were constructed and inhabited during the same period. Further archaeological analysis and comparisons are required in order to better understand the relationship between the sites in Mustang, as well as between these sites and archaeological ruins in Tibet.
