Ancient Gold Artifacts On Display At British Museum

Despite the deliberate iconoclasm of the Taliban, many ancient artifacts from Afghanistan survived. Some of them are on display at the British Museum, including some spectacular old gold pieces.

An estimated 70 percent of the museum’s collection disappeared during 20 years of war and Taliban rule. Miraculously, many of the finest items survived. Some, including the astonishing hoard of precious artifacts found at Tillya Tepe (“the Hill of Gold”) were hidden in a vault beneath the presidential palace, re-emerging only in 2004. Others, looted from the museum, were recovered on the art market.

Two of them, a ram from a headdress and a gold applique, appear below. Have a gander: