The XO Directory

The oldest oil paintings is found in caves in Afghanistan. A newly discovered mural in Afghanistan's Bamian caves show evidence of an oil-based binder which was used to dry paint and help it stick to rocky surfaces.

The murals—and the remains of two giant, destroyed Buddhas—include the world's oldest known oil-based paint, predating European uses of the substance by at least a hundred years, scientists announced late last month.

Researchers made the discovery while conducting a chemical analysis as part of preservation and restoration efforts at Bamian, which lies about 145 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of the Afghan capital, Kabul.

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