Mining Threat to Ancient Afghan Site

Archaeological treasures belonging to a glorious past… or huge economic gains from the unexploited copper mine they sit on? For Mes Aynak, a sprawling 4th century Buddhist monastery, the Afghan government has chosen billions of dollars of expected revenue over archaeological preservation and plans to destroy the site.

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6 months ago

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Asia

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Afghanistan

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SCRIPT: Huge riches lie under these hills in eastern Afghanistan. Historical treasures from a 4th century Buddhist monastery... and further below, a huge copper ore deposit. Workers and archaeologists are nearing the end of a hasty excavation before work to extract the mineral begins. SOUNDBITE 1 Jawed Mohsenzada (man), head archaeologist at the site (Dari, 13 sec): "I was heartbroken when I found out the site is going to be destroyed. I'm very unhappy about it." A Chinese firm won rights to exploit the mine five years ago. They're helping fund a dig that’s so far unearthed small villages, temples and more than a thousand Buddhist statues. Up to 80 percent of the site will eventually be destroyed. Archaeologists have one more year to document and salvage as much as they can. SOUNDBITE 2 Nicolas Engel (man), archaeologist, French Delegation for Archaeology in Afghanistan (DAFA) (French, 22 sec): "We're going to do 3D scans of all the small chapels, so if we want to remove them, we'll be able to reassemble them by constructing new walls and then installing as well as replacing the wall murals, stupas and sculptures." The smaller objects are far easier to take away. From statues to coins, pottery and pieces of jewellery, each day brings new, precious finds. These are some of the oldest Buddhist artifacts in the world -- and well preserved in Afghanistan's dry, arid climate. All pieces will remain in the country to be stored or displayed in Kabul Museum. SOUNDBITE 3 Omara Khan Masoudi (man), director of Kabul Museum (English, 21 sec): "I believe getting the copper out is also very important economically for our government but the preservation of culture is our priority. It is very important for us that we have to protect them, we have to preserve them, we have to keep them for the next generation of Afghanistan." The museum has space to exhibit only a fraction of the site's total haul. It's an opportunity for Afghans to better understand their rich cultural heritage. Each artifact represents the country's glorious past but also the sacrifices made in the hope of a more prosperous future. SHOTLIST: LOGAR, AFGHANISTAN. OCT 2 & 10, 2012, SOURCE: AFPTV -Wide pan over the Mes Aynak archaeological site -VAR of workers on the excavation clearing earth above a small village that was part of the monastery complex -An archaeologist taking scans of the site -SOUNDBITE 1 -Wide of the site with a stupa in the foreground -Archaeologists walking into the site of an ancient temple -VAR of archaeologists revealing a statue of a seated Buddha protected under tarpaulin -Archaeologists clean a stupa inside a former ancient chapel -Close-up of cleaning -SOUNDBITE 2 -Workers carrying small objects found on the site -VAR of archaeologists inspecting and cleaning a small statue -Exterior of Kabul Museum from a distance -Schoolchildren running past the entrance to the museum -SOUNDBITE 3 -VAR of people looking at artifacts from Mes Aynak at the museum /// ---------------------------------------------------- AFP TEXT STORY: Afghanistan-economy-mining-archaeology,FOCUS Hard choices as Afghanistan seeks to exploit mineral riches by Joris Fioriti MES AYNAK, Afghanistan, Nov 16, 2012 (AFP) - Huge riches lie buried below the dusty plains and mountains of Afghanistan -- both mineral wealth and historical treasures accumulated over thousands of years. As the country seeks to build a prosperous and peaceful future after more than 30 years of war, it is facing a dilemma between exploiting the resources that can make it rich and preserving its archaeological heritage. At Mes Aynak, an ancient Buddhist site around 50 kilometres (30 miles) from Kabul, the Afghan government has chosen: in 2007 the China Metallurgical Group Corporation (MCC) successfully bid for the rights to lease the area for 30 years and exploit an 11.5 million tonne copper ore deposit. The fourth-century site, home to ancient villages, temples and Buddhist statues, faces destruction as the mine project progresses. Amid pressure from international donors, authorities required MCC to first pay for an archaeological excavation on the site, where a religious community set up more than 17 centuries ago to exploit the copper. MCC will spend nearly $30 million by the middle of 2013 for the excavation, according to Philippe Marquis, the director of the French archaeological delegation in Afghanistan (DAFA), which is supervising the dig. Around 50 archaeologists and 550 workers are involved in the race to excavate the four-square-kilometre site and the results have been striking. Everywhere houses, temples and barracks are appearing, their walls still in surprisingly good condition, nestled in the beautiful mountain setting. "It's even more important than Pompeii. It's bigger," said Roberta Marziani, an Italian archaeologist working on the site. Marquis says more than a thousand Buddhist statues have been found, a total which he says is not unusual given Afghanistan's archaeological wealth. "The problem is not finding statues, it's preserving them. Afghanistan doesn't have the structures to do that," he said. By the end of next year the dig will be over, the fourth-century town modelled on computer and its physical remains progressively destroyed. "Every time I think about this site disappearing, I get angry," said Jawed Mohsenzada, the head archaeologist at the site. -- Counting on mineral wealth -- -------------------------------- But the Mes Aynak mine will earn $320 to $350 million a year for the Afghan government, according to the ministry of mines, employ thousands of workers and indirectly benefit tens of thousands. "We are doing our best to protect the past and exploit the copper mines to give Afghanistan an economic future. We have to develop the country, we have no other choice," said Mossadeq Khalili, the deputy culture minister. Afghanistan is counting on its mineral wealth -- valued at more than $1 trillion by US experts -- for its economic and political development, but attracting investment means ensuring security. Two years out from the departure of NATO combat troops this is still a distant prospect, and at Mes Aynak dozens of deminers go out each day to clear the muddy road leading to the site. Despite a deployment of 2,000 police officers on the site, which is surrounded by mesh fencing, Taliban rockets rained down on the Chinese camp this summer, forcing MCC's expatriate workers to leave. Of 300 Chinese workers, only around 30 remain, according to one of the archaeologists. There are fears the violence may prompt MCC to exit, though the idea is rejected by Jawad Omar, the spokesman for the ministry of mines, who says 70 percent of the Chinese workers came back to Afghanistan. The company could not be reached for comment by AFP. On the ground, the mining work is not moving forward. Four drilling machines have remained motionless for a month and work to build a railway and power plant, promised by MCC and essential for the mine, is at a standstill. "We are taking part in a poker game as we carve up the world's natural resources. Here this means taking an option on a mine, which you can exploit or keep for later," once the security situation improves, said a western diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity. In this sense "the Chinese are in the process of negotiating with everyone to make sure everything works out" in the long run, the diplomat said, hinting that the Chinese had consulted the Taliban, who would clearly have an interest in Afghanistan's mineral wealth if they returned to power. END