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During the last couple of decades Afghanistan's cultural heritage has faced exceptional challenges. Looting of the National Museum, 'Kabul Museum', the neglect of monuments and extensive illegal excavations have taken place. However, what really shook the world was the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyan in March 2001. This volume focuses on Afghanistan's cultural heritage protection. Its purpose is threefold. To provide an overview of the diversity of activities undertaken in the cultural heritage field. To change public opinion into a more positive one. And to serve as an example for future generations. This multidisciplinary book (including contributions from archaeologists, linguists, and lawyers) will interest both scholars in the cultural, legal and humanistic field as well as the public at large. Many exceptional photographs are included.
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ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY OF AFGHANISTAN
HANDBOOK OF ORIENTAL STUDIES HANDBUCH DER ORIENTALISTIK SECTION EIGHT
CENTRAL ASIA edited by
DENIS SINOR · NICOLA DI COSMO
VOLUME FOURTEEN
ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY OF AFGHANISTAN
ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY OF AFGHANISTAN Its Fall and Survival A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY APPROACH
EDITED BY
JULIETTE VAN KRIEKEN-PIETERS
BRILL LEIDEN • BOSTON
2006
This publication has been financially supported by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and the Röling Foundation.
This book is printed on acid-free paper
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Art and archaeology of Afghanistan : its fall and survival : a multi-disciplinary approach /edited by Juliette van Krieken-Pieters. p. cm. — (Handbook of Oriental Studies = Handbuch der Orientalistik. Section 8, Central Asia, ISSN 0169-8524 ; 14) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-90-04-15182-6 (alk. paper) ISBN-10: 90-04-15182-6 (hardback : alk. paper) 1. Cultural property—Protection—Afghanistan. 2. Archaeology and art—Afghanistan. 3. Afghanistan—Antiquities. 4. Art—Afghanistan. I. Krieken-Pieters, Juliette van. II. Handbuch der Orientalistik. Achte Abteilung, Handbook of Uralic studies ; v. 14 DS353.A78 2006 363.6’909581—dc22 2006042598
ISSN 0169-8524 ISBN-13: 978-90-04-15182-6 ISBN-10: 90-04-15182-6 © Copyright 2006 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill Academic Publishers, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers and VSP. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Brill provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910 Danvers MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change. printed in the netherlands
How wonderful that people show interest in our past, it means there is hope for the future. (quote from an Afghan refugee in Peshawar, 1994)
CONTENTS
List of Illustrations ...................................................................... xi Preface ........................................................................................ xvii Martin de la Bey Acknowledgements ...................................................................... xix Map of archaeological sites ...................................................... xxi Introduction ................................................................................ Juliette van Krieken-Pieters
1
PART ONE
AFGHANISTAN’S CULTURAL HERITAGE PROTECTION IN GENERAL Chapter One. The Society for the Preservation of Afghanistan’s Cultural Heritage: an Overvie