Education

Commissioned by Qatar National Library (QNL), ARCH created an E-Course on the Prevention of Looting and Theft of Antiquities for heritage professionals, museum staff, border police in Afghanistan to educate them about the illicit antiquities trade, the loss it represents to a nation, and methods to prevent it. In a series of lectures, presenters including the director of the French Archeological Mission to Afghanistan, Dr. Philippe Marquis, Jason Felch, author of Chasing Aphrodite, and former director of the Archeology Institute of Afghanistan, Noor Agha Noori, offered an overview of this complex issue. The Taliban Deputy Minister of Culture contributed a supportive statement. We see this also as a way to remain in dialogue with the de facto government of the country on the topic of heritage protection. When the Taliban first entered Kabul, at our request, they sent guards to secure Kabul Museum against possible looters. We believe that dialogue and engagement do not equal endorsement, and must be tried.

This year, our interlocutors in the Ministry of Culture shared our Expert Report on Mes Aynak (a copper mining project co-located with a major Buddhist buried city) with their colleagues in the Ministry of Mines, and the latter reached out to us requesting additional information. Our report was created by a high-level group of international mining experts from Colorado School of Mines and similar institutions and presents low-intensity mining options that allow for the preservation of portions of the historic site. We are encouraged by the pro-active request by the Afghan Ministry of Mines for a copy of the report and for more information, as they are currently in negotiation with China for a copper mining contract at this location.