"Most of the essays published in this volume were presented at the symposium, 'Afghanistan: hidden treasures from the National Museum, Kabul,' held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, on September 10, 2009"—publisher.

Abstract: “Afghanistan, standing at the crossroads of major trade routes, has a long and complex history. Its rich cultural heritage bears the imprint of many traditions, from Greece and Iran to the nomadic world of the Eurasian steppes and China. The essays in this volume concentrate on periods of great artistic development: the Bactrian Bronze Age and the eras following the conquests of Alexander the Great, with a special focus on the sites of Ai Khanum, Begram, and Tillya Tepe. These contributions -- in response to the reappearance of the magnificent hidden treasures from Afghanistan and their exhibition -- have shed new light on the significance of these works and have reinvigorated the discussion of the arts and culture of Central Asia”—publisher description.

“Includes bibliography”—(pages 122-133).

Contents: Map of the Silk Road -- Introduction / Joan Aruz -- At the crossroads of Asia : a history of the National Museum of Afghanistan / Omara Khan Massoudi -- The Bronze Age world of Afghanistan / Fredrik T. Hiebert -- Chronology: western, central, and east Asia after Alexander -- Coins : "The great guides of the historian" / Frank L. Holt -- Aï Khanum : a Greek colony in post-Alexandrian Central Asia, or how to be Greek in an Oriental milieu / Paul Bernard -- The glass from Begram / David Whitehouse -- The Begram carvings : itinerancy and the problem of "Indian" art / Sanjyot Mehendale -- Bactrian gold : jewelry workshop traditions at Tillya Tepe / Jane Hickman -- Tillya Tepe and its connections with the Eurasian steppes / Henri-Paul Francfort -- Tillya Tepe : echoes of Greece and China / John Boardman -- Links, missing and otherwise : Tillya Tepe and East Asia / Denise Patry Leidy.

English