In a move that is beyond comprehension and has most of the world scratching their proverbial heads, Mes Mynak — an archaelogical goldmine in Afghanistan that dates back thousands of years — is scheduled to be destroyed beginning on December 25th to make way for an open-pit copper mine.
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It seems that in its desperation for economic stimulus, the government of Afghanistan neglected to mention to the Chinese firm that successfully bid for the mining rights to the area that the site contained one of the world’s oldest Buddhist monasteries, as well as a Bronze Age settlement that archaeologists have scarcely had an opportunity to examine. Oops-a-daisy!
Archaeologists and historians have been locked in a breakneck race against time for months, but it appears that time is running out to unlock Mes Mynak’s secrets.
A small shrine at Mes Aynak ©Jerome Starkey
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