Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
In the isolated, semi-autonomous region of Mustang, Nepal, the landscape is dotted with manmade caves. Many are Buddhist meditation and ritual caves dating back centuries, and many others are ancient sky tombs, holding human remains up to 3,000 years old which may, in turn, hold answers to the earliest humans to settle at extreme altitude. Jake Norton worked with NOVA teams and scientists on two expeditions to document and tell the story of the Sky Tombs of Mustang.
In the isolated, semi-autonomous region of Mustang, Nepal, the landscape is dotted with manmade caves. Many are Buddhist meditation and ritual caves dating back centuries, and many others are ancient sky tombs, holding human remains up to 3,000 years old which may, in turn, hold answers to the earliest humans to settle at extreme altitude. Jake Norton worked with NOVA teams and scientists on two expeditions to document and tell the story of the Sky Tombs of Mustang.
