Copper Mine Threatens Ancient Monastery in Afghanistan
Andrew Lawler
A decade after the Taliban destroyed the famous Bamiyan Buddhas-two massive statues that have stood sentry in an Afghan valley for 1500 years-archaeologists are warning that Afghan antiquities are again at risk. This time the threat comes from a venture blessed by the Western-backed Afghan government. A Chinese company intends to blow up an ancient Buddhist monastery south of Kabul to make way for a massive copper mine. The plan has sparked outrage among Afghan and French archaeologists, who have recently uncovered more than 100 statues within a large religious complex that includes seven stupas, or tombs built to house the relics of saints.
Always nice to know that some things don't change.
