DOCSLIB.ORG

Saving Mes Aynak

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Saving Mes Aynak LEFT Excavation at Mes CULTUR E Aynak, and, inset, one of the many fabulous SAVING MES Buddha statues from the site. BELOW Director AYNAK Brent E Huffman films Afghan REVIEW archaeologist Qadir Temori at Mes Aynak. Countdown to tragedy Tom St John Gray reviews Brent E Huffman’s award-winning documentary Saving Mes Aynak es Aynak, a spectacular 2,000-year-old hide landmines along the road at night. It’s very much like Russian Buddhist city south of Kabul, Afghanistan, roulette travelling to Mes Aynak. And that’s what it felt like. It was is facing total destruction.This sprawling the luck of the draw if you made it there, and made it back alive’. 500,000m² complex of monasteries, temples, The film traces the countdown to destruction over one year. and hundreds of Buddha statues is hailed as Battling adverse weather conditions, a lack of equipment, and Mone of the greatest archaeological discoveries of this century. vanishing funds due to corrupt officials, Qadir and his team valiantly The mountain city, an important hub along the ancient Silk excavate the site before demolition begins. Despite promises of Road, contains a wealth of unique artefacts in an astonishing state economic rewards, any gains from the mine would be short-lived, as of preservation. Experts believe future discoveries at Mes Aynak Huffman explains: ‘The mining deal will not benefit Afghanistan. could redefine our understanding of ancient Afghanistan and the The Chinese will bring in their own labourers, the money will go to history of early Buddhism. With just 10% of the site excavated, the corrupt people, the environment will be destroyed. What will be left archaeological potential is unparalleled. But, in the opening scenes are toxic craters where this incredible cultural heritage used to be’. of the documentary we learn that the city is one of the world’s Saving Mes Aynak shows the sheer determination of the Afghan most critically endangered heritage sites. Located in the Taliban- archaeologists to protect their culture against overwhelming odds. controlled Logar province, the site sits directly on top of a massive ‘We are all one. We must join together and raise our voices to spread untapped copper deposit valued at $100 billion. awareness around the world,’ Qadir insists. Bulldozers, not bombs, threaten this site. The Afghan government Huffman has crafted a remarkable film of courage, heroism, and sold the mining rights to China Metallurgical Group Corp (MCC) hope. And the fight is not yet over: ‘Cultural heritage goes in tandem in a deal worth $3 billion. Dr Mark Kenoyer at the University of with human rights. Erasing a country’s history is a terrible crime. Wisconsin explains: ‘Mes Aynak as a trading centre would have had There is still a chance to save the site, and now is the moment to people coming from China, the Mediterranean, and South Asia. It spread the word.’ He urges everyone to support the site by watching would have been a crossroads for everything we know of the Old Saving Mes Aynak online: www.savingmesaynak.com World. The destruction of Mes Aynak would be like Atlantis going into the ocean and disappearing from history.’ Saving Mes Aynak follows the desperate race to excavate the site before MCC’s diggers turn this unique landscape into a vast open-pit copper mine. The story is told through the embattled but unbeaten eyes of Afghan archaeologist Qadir Temori. Inspired as a child by the Bamiyan Buddhas, Qadir is a passionate advocate of Afghanistan's rich cultural heritage, and has a deep connection with Mes Aynak. There is great danger lurking throughout Saving Mes Aynak. We learn that Qadir, a loving family man, risks everything to protect Mes Aynak E Huffman/Saving his country’s past: ‘Nobody should allow their cultural identity to be erased’. His team of workers face constant intimidation, and : Brent Qadir regularly receives death threats from Taliban commanders IMAGES demanding money. Director Huffman reveals: ‘The Taliban would ALL www.world-archaeology.com CURRENTWORLDARCHAEOLOGY 55.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Looking at Gandhāra
    HISTORIA I ŚWIAT, nr 4 (2015) ISSN 2299-2464 Kumar ABHIJEET (Magadh University, India) Looking at Gandhāra Keywords: Art History, Silk Route, Gandhāra It is not the object of the story to convey a happening per se, which is the purpose of information; rather, it embeds it in the life of the storyteller in order to pass it on as experience to those listening. It thus bears the marks of the storyteller much as the earthen vessel bears the marks of the potter's hand. —Walter Benjamin, "On Some Motifs in Baudelaire" Discovery of Ancient Gandhāra The beginning of the 19th century was revolutionary in terms of western world scholars who were eager to trace the conquest of Alexander in Asia, in speculation of the route to India he took which eventually led to the discovery of ancient Gandhāra region (today, the geographical sphere lies between North West Pakistan and Eastern Afghanistan). In 1808 CE, Mountstuart Elphinstone was the first British envoy sent in Kabul when the British went to win allies against Napoleon. He believed to identify those places, hills and vineyard described by the itinerant Greeks or the Greek Sources on Alexander's campaign in India or in their memory of which the Macedonian Commanders were connected. It is significant to note that the first time in modern scholarship the word “Thupa (Pali word for stupa)” was used by him.1 This site was related to the place where Alexander’s horse died and a city called Bucephala (Greek. Βουκεφάλα ) was erected by Alexander the Great in honor of his black horse with a peculiar shaped white mark on its forehead.
    [Show full text]
  • Cultural Heritage Vs. Mining on the New Silk Road? Finding Technical Solutions for Mes Aynak and Beyond
    Cultural Heritage vs. Mining on the New Silk Road? Finding Technical Solutions for Mes Aynak and Beyond Cheryl Benard Eli Sugarman Holly Rehm CONFERENCE REPORT December 2012 Cultural Heritage vs. Mining on the New Silk Road? Finding Technical Solutions for Mes Aynak and Beyond June 4-5, 2012 SAIS, Johns Hopkins University Washington, D.C. 20036 sponsored by Ludus and ARCH Virginia Conference Report Cheryl Benard Eli Sugarman Holly Rehm © Central Asia-Caucasus Institute & Silk Road Studies Program – A Joint Transatlantic Research and Policy Center Johns Hopkins University-SAIS, 1619 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 Institute for Security and Development Policy, V. Finnbodav. 2, Stockholm-Nacka 13130, Sweden www.silkroadstudies.org “Cultural Heritage vs. Mining on the New Silk Road? Finding Technical Solutions for Mes Aynak and Beyond” is a Conference Report published by the Central Asia- Caucasus Institute and the Silk Road Studies Program. The Silk Road Papers Series is the Occasional Paper series of the Joint Center, and addresses topical and timely subjects. The Joint Center is a transatlantic independent and non-profit research and policy center. It has offices in Washington and Stockholm and is affiliated with the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University and the Stockholm-based Institute for Security and Development Policy. It is the first institution of its kind in Europe and North America, and is firmly established as a leading research and policy center, serving a large and diverse community of analysts, scholars, policy-watchers, business leaders, and journalists. The Joint Center is at the forefront of research on issues of conflict, security, and development in the region.
    [Show full text]
  • Final Technical Report on the Results of the UNESCO/Korean Funds-In
    UNESCO/Republic of Korea Funds-in-Trust Final Technical Report on the results of the UNESCO/Korean Funds-in-Trust Project: Support for the Preparation for the World Heritage Serial Nomination of the Silk Roads in South Asia, 2013- 2016 2016 Final Technical Report on the results of the UNESCO/Korean Funds-in-Trust project: Support for the Preparation for the World Heritage Serial Nomination of the Silk Roads in South Asia, 2013-2016 Executing Agency: • UNESCO World Heritage Centre, in collaboration with UNESCO Field Offices in Kathmandu and New Delhi Implementing partners: • National Commissions for UNESCO of Bhutan, China, India, and Nepal • Department of Archaeology of Nepal (DoA) • Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) • Division for Conservation of Heritage Sites, Department of Culture, Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs, Royal Government of Bhutan • State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China • ICOMOS International • ICOMOS International Conservation Centre – Xi’an (IICC-X) • University College London, UK Written & compiled by: Tim Williams (Institute of Archaeology, University College London) Edited by: Tim Williams, Roland Lin Chih-Hung (Asia and the Pacific Unit, World Heritage Centre, UNESCO) and Gai Jorayev (Institute of Archaeology, University College London) Prepared for publication by Gai Jorayev at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology ISBN: 978-0-9956132-0-1 Creative commons licence: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International. Share, copy and redistribute this publication in any medium or format under the following terms: Attribution — You must give appropriate credit and indicate if changes were made. NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
    [Show full text]
  • The Iconography of Headdresses at Bamiyan and What It Suggests
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
    [Show full text]
  • Jahresbericht 2011 Kunsthistorisches Museum Mit MVK Und Ötm Jahresbericht 2011
    M ÖT Sammlungen in der Neuen Burg www.khm.at Ephesos Museum Hofjagd- und Rüstkammer Sammlung alter Musikinstrumente 1010 Wien, Heldenplatz Kunsthistorisches Museum 1010 Wien, Maria Theresien-Platz Schatzkammer 1010 Wien, Hofburg – Schweizerhof Wagenburg 1130 Wien, Schloss Schönbrunn Museum für Völkerkunde 1010 Wien, Neue Burg, Heldenplatz Theseustempel Jahresbericht 1010 Wien, Volksgarten 2011 Schloss Ambras 6020 Innsbruck, Schlossstraße 20 978-3-99020-015-5 Österreichisches Theatermuseum 1010 Wien, Palais Lobkowitz, Lobkowitzplatz 2 Jahresbericht 2011 Kunsthistorisches Museum mit MVK und Jahresbericht 2011 2 SAMMLUNG Jahresbericht 2011 Kunsthistorisches Museum mit MVK und ÖTM IMPRESSUM MEDIENINHABER UND HERAUSGEBER Generaldirektorin Dr. Sabine HAAG REDAKTION Franz PICHORNER Elisabeth HERRMANN LEKTORAT Elisabeth HERRMANN Annette SCHÄFER ÜBERSETZUNGEN Elizabeth MORTIMER ART-DIREKTION Stefan ZEISLER FOTONACHWEIS ©, falls nicht anders angegeben: KHM Leitung Fotografie und Bildbearbeitung Stefan ZEISLER Bildbearbeitung Michael AUMÜLLER Fotografen Christian MENDEZ Thomas RITTER Alexander ROSOLI Andreas ULDRICH GRAFISCHE GESTALTUNG ATELIER SIMMA, Wien DRUCK Druckerei Walla GmbH www.khm.at © 2012 Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien Alle Rechte vorbehalten. INHALT 8 Geschäftsführung 17 Aus der Chronik von KHM, MVK und ÖTM 21 Sammlungen des Kunsthistorischen Museums 73 Sammlungen des Museums für Völkerkunde 91 Sammlungen des Österreichischen Theatermuseums 103 Abteilungen 137 Ausstellungen 169 Publikationen 173 Diverses 183 Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeiter 187 English Summary Geschäftsbericht 6 SAMMLUNG SAMMLUNGEN KHM 7 GESCHÄFTSFÜHRUNG 8 VORWORT Seit 10 Jahren gibt das Kunsthistorische tungsphase ist ein problemloser Umzug aus im Fundraising und die wertvolle finanzielle Museum mit seinen angeschlossenen Museen den alten Depots erfolgt, wofür wir allen Unterstützung unseres Wiener Freundesver- jeweils einen Tätigkeitsbericht heraus, in Beteiligten unseren großen Dank aus- eins sowie der International Friends of KHM dem seine Forschungs-, Vermittlungs- und sprechen.
    [Show full text]
  • LECTURE> "Buddhist Manuscript Discoveries at Mes Aynak: a Tricky Philological in Situ-Ation"
    H-Buddhism LECTURE> "Buddhist Manuscript Discoveries at Mes Aynak: A Tricky Philological In Situ-ation" Charles DiSimone, May 11 2021 Discussion published by Charles DiSimone on Sunday, May 9, 2021 Dear Friends, I am sorry to inform you that Ingo Strauch has had to cancel his upcoming talk: “Newly discovered Śāradā documents from a private collection in the UK”, on short notice which was to be the eighth and final lecture in the Ghent Center for Buddhist Studies Spring Lecture Series (Permanent Training in Buddhist Studies (PTBS)) generously sponsored by the Tianzhu Foundation. Due to this absence, I will fill in with a talk on a somewhat similar theme that may be of interest to those who had planned to attend the scheduled lecture. The lecture will be on May 11, 2021 at 19.00 Belgian time. All lectures in this series will be held remotely over Zoom. Interested parties are welcome to attend the series or individual talks. To register to this talk and get the Zoom link, or if you would like to be informed of future talks in our next lecture series (Spring 2022), please write [email protected] . Please note, due to a recent cyber attack in Belgium, even if you registered for previous talks you should still register once again to attend. Buddhist Manuscript Discoveries at Mes Aynak: A Tricky Philological In Situ-ation Charles DiSimone Ghent University The ancient city of Mes Aynak, located about 40 km from Kabul in Afghanistan, sits atop the largest deposit of copper in the world. It has been an important location for copper mining and smelting from at least the late Bronze Age until perhaps around the 6th century CE and was continuously inhabited for several centuries thereafter.
    [Show full text]
  • Keeping History Alive Safeguarding Cultural Heritage in Post-Conflict Afghanistan Cultural Heritage Safeguarding
    Over the last ten years, UNESCO and its partners have actively supported the efforts of the Afghan Government, notably the Ministry of Information and Culture, to increase public awareness of Afghanistan’s cultural heritage. This has been undertaken not only through the United Nations practical conservation and stabilisation work at historic monuments Educational, Scientific and and archaeological sites, but also in the form of numerous publications, Cultural Organization Safeguarding Cultural Heritage in Post Conflict Afghanistan Safeguarding Keeping History Alive seminars, workshops and other international, national and provincial cultural events. These endeavours have looked to highlight the significance and contribution of culture towards broader development goals including employment, income generation, education and the promotion of a cohesive society within the context of peace and nation- building in Afghanistan. Keeping History Alive Safeguarding Cultural Heritage in Post-Conflict Afghanistan United Nations Educational, Scientific and Raw photos from 3D scanning of the Gawharshad Mausoleum ceiling in Herat Cultural Organization © UNESCO/ICONEM Published in 2015 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 7, place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP, France and UNESCO Office in Kabul, House 647, Jami Watt, PD-10, Shahr-e Naw, Kabul, Afghanistan © UNESCO 2015 ISBN 978-92-3-100064-5 This publication is available in Open Access under the Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 IGO (CC-BY-ND 3.0 IGO) license (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/igo/). By using the content of this publication, the users accept to be bound by the terms of use of the UNESCO Open Access Repository (www.unesco.org/open-access/terms-use-ccbynd-en).
    [Show full text]
  • THE ORIENTAL INSTITUTE PARTNERSHIP with the NATIONAL MUSEUM of AFGHANISTAN Gil J
    ORIENTAL INSTITUTE-NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFGHANISTAN PARTNERSHIP THE ORIENTAL INSTITUTE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFGHANISTAN Gil J. Stein Partnership and Its Goals In 2015–16 we completed the fourth full year of the partnership between the Oriental Institute (OI) and the National Museum of Afghanistan (NMA). This project, funded by the US Depart- ment of State and the US Embassy in Kabul, has been assisting the museum by working with its staff to develop a bilingual objects management database, conduct a full inventory of the NMA’s holdings, do conservation assessments for the objects, rehouse the objects in archival quality containers, and train the NMA staff in conservation, database management, and arti- fact curation procedures (fig. 1). We seek to complete the inventory database, stabilize objects, and train the staff of the National Museum to the point where they will be able manage the inventory database independently, while developing a fully functioning National Museum. The OI component of the partnership consists of two parts (fig. 2). The “Chicago team” consisted of Gil Stein (PI), Steve Camp (grant planning, administration and budgeting), and Laura D’Alessandro (conservation). Our “Kabul team” comprised Mike Fisher, Alejandro Gal- Figure 1. Unbaked clay sculpture from the rescue Figure 2. Oriental Institute team members Steve excavations at the Early Buddhist (second–eighth Camp, Alejandro Gallego Lopez, and Gil Stein at centuries CE) city of Mes Aynak in the National “OI House” in Kabul Museum of Afghanistan Conservation Laboratory 130 THE ORIENTAL INSTITUTE ORIENTAL INSTITUTE-NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFGHANISTAN PARTNERSHIP lego Lopez, and conservators Fabio Colombo and Reyhane Mirabootalebi.
    [Show full text]
  • Safeguarding Afghanistan's Cultural Heritage 2
    Safeguarding Afghanistan’s Cultural Heritage The Role of the Heritage Professional and Implications for Nation-Building Honors Capstone by Nancy R. Cohen Written in fulfillment of the requirements for graduation with University Honors for the Bachelor of Arts in International Studies in the School of International Service at American University Advisor: Dr. Maria De Jesus, School of International Service Spring 2014 Safeguarding Afghanistan's Cultural Heritage 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………3 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………..4 Review of the Literature and Historical Background…………………………………….........5-17 Introduction to Heritage……………………………………………………………….......5 Legal Considerations…………………………………………………………………....5-7 Cultural Heritage and Nation-Building……………………………………………………7 “Who Owns Culture?” ………………………………………………………………….7-9 Cultural Heritage in Conflict…………………………………………………………..9-10 Background to Afghanistan’s Culture………………………………………………..10-15 Recent Cultural Heritage Developments……………………………………………..15-17 Methods and Participants……………………………………………………………………..17-18 Data Analysis…………………………………………………………………………............18-31 Approaches to Heritage Preservations………………………………………………..18-24 Obstacles in Heritage Work…………………………………………………………..24-28 Attitudes Toward the Value of Cultural Heritage……………………………………28-31 Limitations and Opportunities for Current Research………………………………………...31-32 Implications and Conclusions………………………………………………………………...32-34 References…………………….……………………………………………………………...35-37 Appendix:
    [Show full text]
  • JPM QUARTERLY Jan - Mar ’19 the Participants Watching the Screening of ‘Looks of a Lot’ Table of Contents Director’S Note
    JPM QUARTERLY Jan - Mar ’19 The participants watching the screening of ‘Looks of a Lot’ Table Of Contents Director’s Note ................................................................. Page 01 Aesthetics ........................................................................ Page 03 Indian Aesthetics ............................................................. Page 04 Forthcoming Programmes in Indian Aesthetics ................ Page 10 Islamic Aesthetics ............................................................ Page 11 Forthcoming Programme in Islamic Aesthetics ............. Page 15 Yoga and Tantra ................................................................ Page 19 Buddhist Aesthetics ......................................................... Page 24 Forthcoming Programmes in Buddhist Aesthetics ........... Page 27 Criticism and Theory ......................................................... Page 29 Critical Theory, Aesthetics, and Practice ......................... Page 30 Forthcoming Programmes in Criticism and Theory ........... Page 37 Theoretical Foundations .................................................... Page 38 Forthcoming Programmes in Theoretical Foundations ..... Page 40 Community Engagement ................................................. Page 41 Forthcoming Programmes in Community Engagement .. Page 46 Creative Processes ......................................................... Page 47 Curatorial Processes ....................................................... Page 48 JPM Supporters ................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Mes Aynak Archaeological Project
    MANAGEMENT RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR INSPECTION PANEL REVIEW OF THE AFGHANISTAN: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES – ADDITIONAL FINANCING (P116651), AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES II (P118925) Management has reviewed the Request for Inspection of the Afghanistan: Sustainable Development of Natural Resources – Additional Financing (P116651), and Sustainable Development of Natural Resources II (P118925), received by the Inspection Panel on December 3rd and December 6th, 2012 and registered on January 4th, 2013 (RQ13/01). Management has prepared the following response. February 8, 2013 CONTENTS Abbreviations and Acronyms .......................................................................................... ii Executive Summary ......................................................................................................... iii I. Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1 II. Country Context....................................................................................................... 1 III. The Projects .............................................................................................................. 4 IV. The Request .............................................................................................................. 6 V. Management’s Response ......................................................................................... 7 Maps Map 1. IBRD No. 39787: Afghanistan Map 2. IBRD No.
    [Show full text]
  • Campbell, Mand, Rausch 1 the Bamiyan Valley in Afghanistan Lies
    Campbell, Mand, Rausch 1 The Bamiyan Valley in Afghanistan lies 230 Kilometers northwest of the capital of Kabul. It was a valley rich with Buddhist culture, once a center of Buddhist activity, with monks and monasteries, and filled with an enormous amount of art. There were two massive, over 30- meter tall sculptures depicting Buddha, carved into the cliffside by Buddhist monasteries dating from the 6th century C.E. Tragically, in 2001, the Bamiyan Valley was the stage for an unprecedented and highly publicized act of iconoclasm. In March of that year, the Taliban, an Islamic militant group based in Kandahar, destroyed the two colossal ancient statues with missiles and dynamite. This deliberate and shocking destruction of religious icons, this iconoclasm, and the immediate international response inspired our investigation of Afghanistan’s rich cultural, religious, and artistic history. Our research led us to examination of Afghanistan’s Silk Road multicultural melding, the spread of Islam, the history of civil war, the origins of the Taliban, their ideology, the political, economical, and religious pressures that led to the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas, and the subsequent international effort to protect Afghanistan’s heritage. The country we know today as Afghanistan has a rich and ancient history. The Silk Road, the network of trading routes throughout Asia, was a significant factor in the development of Central Asian culture. The once nomadic Kushan Empire (150 B.C.E. - 224 C.E) settled in Afghanistan, a region that could be considered the crossroads of Asia. International trade that reached from Europe to China brought a conglomeration of languages, both written and spoken, through the Kushan Empire.
    [Show full text]