NOVA: Secrets Of The Sky Tombs

Unearth secrets buried in the world’s highest tombs, tucked in Himalayan caves.

"Secrets Of The Sky Tombs" - The towering Himalayas were among the last places on Earth that humanity settled. Scaling sheer cliff sides, a team of daring scientists hunts for clues to how ancient people found their way into this forbidding landscape and adapted to survive the high altitude.

They discover rock-cut tombs filled with human bones and enigmatic artifacts, including gold masks and Chinese silk dating back thousands of years, and piece together evidence of strange rituals and beliefs designed to ward off the restless spirits of the dead.

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Dr. Jacqueline Eng analyzing bones of Kyang Cave, Nar-Phu Valley, Nepal.

Courtesy of Liesl Clark

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Villages of Chuksang and Tsaile on the Kali Ghandaki River Valley, Upper Mustang, Nepal.

Courtesy of Liesl Clark

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Caves above Chuksang Village, Upper Mustang, Nepal.

Courtesy of Liesl Clark

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Climbers Pete Athans and Jake Norton excavating and photographing the Samdzong Sky Tombs, Upper Mustang, Nepal.

Courtesy of Liesl Clark

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Human remains recovered from Samdzong cave tombs, Upper Mustang, Nepal.

Courtesy of Liesl Clark

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Kavita Bist Mengwal cleaning and analysing the bones of Samdzong cave. Upper Mustang, Nepal.

Courtesy of Liesl Clark

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Gold mask and daggers found in Tomb 5 in Samdzong, Upper Mustang, Nepal.

Courtesy of Pete Athans

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Mani wall and caves above Samdzong village, Upper Mustang, Nepal.

Courtesy of Liesl Clark

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Scenic of Tsarang Village and Annapurnas at sunset, Upper Mustang, Nepal.

Courtesy of Liesl Clark

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