Ruins of 1,000-year-old palace discovered in Nepal

A huge archaeological site believed to be over 1,000 years old has been discovered in southeastern Nepal, The Rising Nepal newspaper reported Friday.

A team from the Archaeology Department uncovered a huge structure having a 340-meter wall made up of artistic bricks on a foundation of stone laid over soil at Kanakpatti of Khoksar Prabaha village in Saptari district, some 200 km southeast of Kathmandu.

"The structure must have been either a palace or a monastery and its age could be over a thousand years, because the swans and geometric shapes present in the walls is similar to that of the Pal period," the state-run English daily quoted Archaeology Department Officer Prakash Darnal as saying.

Archaeologists also found windows, entrances and rooms as well as numerous artifacts, including status, remains of crockery, engraved bricks and a well.

The site could have been part of a palace built by Bengali Kings on their way to Makawanpur via Saptari during their conquests, as mentioned in historical documents, said Darnal, who is involved in the excavation.

The statues found at the site is likely belong to the contemporary era of India's Kushan period, he said, adding that a 25 cm wide bearded Buddha statue will be examined at the Archaeology Department office in Kathmandu.

Source: Xinhua