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July 4, 2008

VIDEO SUMMARY: Ancient Afghan necklace

This video report describes a new exhibit of ancient Afghan treasures at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC in conjunction with the National Geographic Society.

The priceless antiquities, including thousands of pieces of gold from the “Bactrian horde,” were discovered hidden in a bank vault in Afghanistan’s presidential palace in 2004.

The 228 objects that make up the exhibit highlight Afghanistan’s role at the crossroads of the ancient Silk Road trading routes from Asia to the west. They show how ancient Afghans interacted with ancient India, Mesopotamia, Greece and Rome.

They provide a different viewpoint of a nation that in modern times is associated with war and terror.

“Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul” will travel around the U.S. through September 2009.

SELECTED QUOTES:

“You look at these treasures from Afghanistan, from a country that you know only from the news as a land of terror, as a land of chaos. And you look at these pieces, they’re gorgeous. They’re beautiful. They’re so familiar. You see iconography from Greece, from Rome, from China, from India. You say, ‘Wow, these things came from Afghanistan.’” - Frederik Hiebert, archaeologist and National Geographic fellow

“For a lot of people, Afghanistan starts with the Soviet invasion or some of the recent violence. This is not the case. This country has been around for 5,000 years.” - Said Jawad, Afghanistan’s ambassador to the U.S.

WARM UP QUESTIONS:

Where is Afghanistan? Can you find it on a map? What do you know about the country and the people who live there?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

After viewing the video about the Afghan treasures what did you learn about the country? How does this compare to your knowledge and understanding of Afghanistan before you watched? Find out more about the Ancient Silk Road trade route. Where did it go? What was its purpose? What does it tell us about the people who lived so long ago? How are they similar and different to people today? How do you think Afghanistan’s past influences what is happening there now? If you lived in Afghanistan, how would you reconcile your country’s rich past with the current poverty and chaos?

RESOURCES:

Transcript of this report

NGA: Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul

In-depth Coverage: Afghanistan and the War on Terror

Extra Lesson Plan: Afghanistan - People, Places and Politics

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