Afghan golden treasure on display (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

By Lawrence Pollard
BBC News, Paris

There is one darkened corridor in the Musee Guimet which will take your breath away, as it winks at you with a glittering light.
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This is the treasure of Tilya Tepe, the Hill of Gold, from near the Oxus river in northern Afghanistan - and it has quite a story to tell.
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Called the Bactrian Gold, after the area at the crossroads of the trade routes between China, India and the Mediterranean, it was unearthed in 1978 by a Russian team.

They had found the graves of nomadic aristocrats who died about the time of the birth of Christ. More than 20,000 individual gold items - from tiny beads and hearts sown onto costume, to the shimmering golden crown of a queen. Even golden sandals.

That was 1978. Soon after, more waves of invasion and conflict led Afghanistan to chaos and civil war. As far as the outside world knew, the treasure just disappeared. Had it been taken to Moscow, or smuggled, or melted down?
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6215002.stm

A toast! To curators, librarians, and other guardians who have sacrificed so much to protect the treasures of civilization from warriors and looters!

pix at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/6215346.stm

[Mnemosyne]

1. Those are gorgeous! I agree;

a :toast: to those that protect such history. Priceless treasures to most, but sadly a commodity to too many others.

Great photos, thanks for sharing.

[Solly Mack]

2. Beautiful!

[nam78_two]

3. Interesting-thanks for posting!/nt