Contrary to popular belief, oil paintings weren’t first created by Europeans in the 15th century, but rather Asians, and in the 5th to 9th centuries—according to works discovered in caves behind the two Taliban-destroyed Buddah sculptures in Bamiyan, Afghanistan.

The European Synchrotron Radiation Facility suspects the paint was made of walnuts or poppies, says the BBC, which isn’t surprising, as natural pigments have been used for coloring since the prehistoric era. For more tidbits on the origin of pigments, read this.