Actually it was these guys who originally found the treasure.
Posted on 11/07/2003 7:42:57 AM PST by dead
An Afghan security guard has told of how he prevented a hoard of gold bullion and priceless 2100-year-old treasure falling into the hands of the Taliban.
The fate of the Golden Hoard of Bactria, a collection of 20,000 artefacts, has been the subject of fantastic rumours: that it was stolen by Soviet troops or looted by the Taliban to be sold through antique dealers in Pakistan to fund a terrorist network.
But the treasure remained safe largely due to the efforts of one man, Askerzai, who has been guardian of the vaults for 30 years. Mr Askerzai, 50, an employee of the central bank, is one of the few people to have seen the 20,000 gold objects.
"It's the best heritage of our country," he said.
The coins, medallions, plates and necklaces set with precious stones were excavated in 1978 in Balkh province, northern Afghanistan, which was known as Bactria when Alexander the Great conquered the country.
"It is the biggest hoard of gold ever discovered," said Jim Williams, of the Kabul office of the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. "It was like finding King Tut's tomb."
Soon after the discovery, the guerilla war against the Soviet occupation began. The treasure was kept in the Kabul Museum, Mr Askerzai said, but the day before the Soviet forces fled Kabul, in February 1989, it was moved to the presidential compound, considered to be the safest place in the capital.
Mr Askerzai helped to seal the treasure in seven trunks and guarded it along with the assets of the central bank - gold bars the "size of your arm" worth about $A120 million - also kept in the presidential palace in a vault carved out of rock.
After the Taliban captured Kabul in 1996, a delegation of 10 mullahs arrived to inspect the vaults. A pistol held against his head, Mr Askerzai opened the combination lock so they could inspect the gold bars. They had found the second prize, but did not realise the real treasure was in a vault above their heads.
The Taliban asked if there was any other gold but Mr Askerzai remained silent. He was jailed for 3 months, during which he was beaten and tortured, but he did not reveal anything.
"I wasn't scared; I didn't care for my life," he said.
On the Taliban's last night in power, they stuffed the central bank's cash reserves into tin trunks and arrived at the vault for the gold bars. They spent four hours trying to open the vault. Mr Askerzai watched.
Unknown to them, five years earlier he had broken the key and left it in the lock. The Taliban gave up and fled as Northern Alliance forces edged closer.
The Taliban did not ask about the Golden Hoard of Bactria, for a simple reason, Mr Askersai said. The uneducated mullahs were not schooled in Afghanistan's great archaeological heritage - they had never heard of Bactria.
Actually it was these guys who originally found the treasure.
Tough cookies, these Afghans. If (big if) you can win their loyalty, you'd probably have a friend forever. But otherwise, it seems that they'll just wait out whatever events come their way -- and that includes an American military presence.
"I believe I was meant to rule...."
Isaac Newton said that he accomplished great things only because he stood on the shoulders of giants.
There are many cultures in the world that do not care about the past, and which choose to ignore concepts which they deem "incorrect" (for example: those "stupid" pagan cultures and their history/artifacts). This is one major reason that Islamic cultures are backward -- they refuse to stand on the shoulders of giants.
Alas, America is also becoming ignorant of the past and also chooses to ignore those things which are politically incorrect.
Daniel Dravot: Not for us thank you. Not after watching afghans come howling down out of the hills and taking battlefield command when all the officers bought it.
Peachy Carnehan: Well said, brother Dravot.
So their lack of knowledge of history cost them a pretty penny. Maybe even two pretty pennies.
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