Michael Urbat

Michael Urbat, a geologist from the University of Cologne, has analyzed pieces of the larger Buddha and from the rock strata has been able to work out what part of the vast statue they came from.

Michael Urbat

University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany

Courtesy of Michael Urbat, University of Cologne, Germany.
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And these same soft Miocene sediments that allowed the artisans to carve the caves and Buddhas now threaten the stability of the cliffs, especially after the 2001 explosions, says Michael Urbat, a geologist at the University of Cologne in Germany.
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Urbat and colleague Klaus Krumsiek are also working on reconstructions, but reassembling the remaining fragments from a geological perspective.
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"We figured that only a method based on geological criteria is suitable to reconstruct the original position of blasted rock fragments," Urbat says.The basic idea, he explains, is to use paleomagnetic indicators to match patterns on the back wall of the niche to any patterns on the remaining Buddha rock fragments.At the request of UNESCO, Urbat visited Bamiyan in 2003 to test his method and found that he could indeed match the rock fragments to locations in the niches, which could help in reassembly efforts.

Michael Urbat, a geologist from the University of Cologne, has analyzed pieces of the larger Buddha and from the rock strata has been able to work out what part of the vast statue they came from.