Fourteen Buddha statues, 22 swords, and a gong believed to be antiquities were recently discovered by local residents inside a cave in Nadee village in Viengthong district, the central Lao province of Bolikhamxay, Lao media reported on April 28.

Based on their appearance, local authorities believe they could be antiquities and have asked archaeologists to verify the age of the items.

Local media cited Sonthong Vibounkuang, Director of the Bolikhamxay provincial Information, Culture and Tourism Department, as saying that people came across the relics inside the cave, which is located in a wooded area, and notified authorities who believe that 13 of the Buddha statues are made of gold.

Authorities have placed the antiquities in a safe location in Nadee village.

Such findings are not uncommon in Laos. Ancient Buddha statues and relics have been unearthed in many places, both hidden in containers and buried in the ground, according to local media./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency