Taliban confirmed the news to have begun tracking and locating the 2000-year-old Bactrian treasure which is commonly known as “Bactrian gold”. The first finding of the Bactrian treasure was excavated nearly four decades ago from the graves of six wealthy nomads in the Tela Tapa area. It falls under the Sheberghan district in northern Afghanistan.
The Deputy head of the cultural commission of the Taliban’s interim cabinet, Ahmadulah Wasiq said that the matter is under investigation and they will collect all the information regarding the treasure. He further added that if the gold is transferred out of Afghanistan then that will be considered treason against Afghanistan. The new government in Afghanistan will take serious actions if the ancient items or gold are moved out of the country.
There are nearly 20,000 artifacts that are present in the grave of the Saka tribesmen from central Asia or the Yuezhi from northwest China. It includes gold cupids, dolphins, gods, and dragons encrusted with semiprecious stones like turquoise, carnelian, and lapis lazuli. The artifacts also contained golden rings, coins, weapons, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and crowns.
The treasure is believed to be assembled by Yuezhi nobles from China, who arrived in the Bactria region in the second century BC which later established the Kushan Empire in India.
