Mes Aynak archaeological excavations, Logar, Afghanistan
Otherwise known as “little copper well”, Mes Aynak is a fantastically interesting site. Located on a bloody big copper reserve it has given it a rather important accolade throughout history. Even Alexander the Great was rumoured to have been there.
A large Buddhist monastery complex exists on-top of 5,000-year-old Bronze Age site including an ancient copper smelt. Something rather important to find since generally metallurgists and Ceramic specialists (basically specialists who work with things that transform from one substance into another) get a bit excited by kilns and smelts. Especially old ones.
The image shows a 1,500 years old kitchen, found in presumably the administrative center for mining of copper in Mes Aynak. The storage jar was used for keeping of water or grain, and bears marks of ancient repairs. Work elsewhere at the site suggests that copper excavations in Mes Aynak could had been ongoing since as early as 3th Millenium B.C., involving hundreds, if not thousands, of workers. The site itself is likely to spread across around 1.5 kilometers square.
But what I find interesting is the possibility that there was a monastic cult set up dedicated to Prince Siddhartha in his pre-enlightend state. This possibility arises from a recent stele found of him in 2010. From this find alone it already changes the early history of Buddhism.
The site, however, is under threat from increasing mining. Its creation is likely to be its demise. As this is posted part of the site has been destroyed. But remember this happens when we excavate anyway. Some of the information has already been gathered, and sometimes it requires a threat to actually drive excavations
(Photo by Michal Przedlacki)
