New Archaeological Discoveries in Afghanistan: Mes Aynak, Tepe Naranj and the Buddhist Art of the Kabul River Valley

The first new collections to enter the National Museum of Afghanistan (the Kabul Museum) in 30 years come from the newly excavated Buddhist sites of ancient Kabulistan (the Kabul region). The spectacular finds from two sites, Mes Aynak and Tepe Narenj, greatly expand our understanding of the artistic culture of the Kabul region during the second half of the 1st millennium CE.- a period which also witnessed the expansion of Islamic influence. At this time Kapisa-Kabul was the center of an extensive and powerful kingdom The high quality of artistic expression and extravagant use of expensive materials reminds us that this was a period of affluence in part derived from international trade and mineral resources including both copper and silver.

The lecture will be illustrated by recent photo-documentation of the excavations and the new museum installations that were taken during the speaker’s two recent visits to Afghanistan.

To RSVP, please email isaw@nyu.edu.