Taliban ministry of information and culture started efforts to track, locate and secure the 2000-year-old Bactrian gold treasure.
According to a report, Bactrian Gold was first discovered 4 decades ago in the Tela Tapa area of Sherberghan district, the center of northern Jawzjan province.
Taliban interim cabinet deputy head of the cultural commission, Ahmadullah Wasiq said –
The issue is under investigation, and we will collect information to know what the reality is. If it has been transferred (out of Afghanistan), it is treason against Afghanistan,
The government of Afghanistan will take serious actions if this and other ancient items are moved out of the country.
In 2016, according to National Geographic, the Bactrian treasure report-
They contained more than 20,000 objects, including golden rings, coins, weapons, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, weapons, and crowns. In addition to gold, many of these were crafted from precious stones such as turquoise, carnelian, and lapis lazuli,
The 2,000-year-old artifacts found with them exhibit a rare blend of aesthetic influences (from Persian to classical Greek) and the great number of precious objects found surprised the archaeologists, in particular the intricate golden crown found in the sixth tomb,
Some of the scholars believe that the Bactrian gold treasure might belong to 6 wealthy Asian nomads (5 women and 1 man).
However the former government in February 2021, the Bactrian treasure was brought to Afghanistan’s presidential palace and was put on display for public viewing.
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But the recent developments in Afghanistan raised many questions about the Bactrian gold safety and security. To some extent, a recent statement by Wasiq is luring. He said –
that items of the national museum, the national archive and the national gallery and other historical and ancient monuments are safe in their locations,
Afghan citizens feel that the Bactrian treasure is a national asset and should be protected.
As some of the reports in December 2020 suggest that the Bactrian gold treasure collection has been displayed in 13 countries in the past 13 years bringing in more than 350 million Afghanis (more than $4.5 million) to the country’s contemporary treasury.