1,430 ancient artifacts discovered at Aynak copper mine site

KABUL (Pajhwok): About 1,430 ancient artifacts discovered at Aynak copper mine site in central Logar province have been shifted to the central laboratory for cleaning, initial repair, identification and registration, the Ministry of Information and Culture said in a statement on Monday.

In its statement, the Ministry of Information and Culture wrote 1,430 pieces of artifacts had been recovered from the ancient sites of Aynak by professional engineers from the Department of Archaeology under the Ministry’s Deputy Ministry of Arts and Culture and transferred from the Aynak field warehouse to the department’s central laboratory for cleaning, initial repair, identification, registration, and documentation.

It said the artifacts included items made of clay, stone, metal, glass, bone, and wood, including copper coins from the Kushan and Sassanid periods, inscriptions, small jars, cups, bowls, various lamps, copper bracelets, agate, lapis lazuli, ivory, bone beads, gourds, axes, and other tools.

MoIC quoted Sayed Zabihullah Sadat, head of the Department of Archaeology, as saying that the artifacts were evacuated from the field warehouse to the central office. After this process, they would be handed over to the National Museum for permanent display and preservation.

These artifacts, which are more than 5,000 years old, represent the stories and experiences of past eras and provide people with a deeper understanding of ancient civilizations, the statement added.

Two days ago, Metallurgical Corporation of China (MCC) officials said all problems with the mine have been resolved and that they would begin practical extraction work as soon as possible.

hz/ma