The story of the discovery and loss of one of the most valuable
treasures known to man--Afghanistan's Bactrian Gold that dates back
2,000 years to the Kingdom of Bactria, conquered by Alexander the
Great in 327 BC. In 1978, a team of Russian and Afghan archaeologists
unearthed the Bactrian Gold. As Afghanistan fell into a downward
spiral of destruction, warring factions fought to possess the
treasure. Amidst the chaos, one man had the forethought to stash the
gold for safekeeping...in a secret vault that could only be opened
with simultaneous application of seven keys, each sent to separate
corners of the world. However, after 23 years of warfare, experts
began to worry that the gold wasn't safe. And then the Taliban regime
began a barbaric hunt to wipe-out all cultural artifacts of its kind,
including demolition of the giant Buddhas of Bamiyan. In the end, the
US-led war on terror brought resolution to the mystery, one that
serves as a symbol of hope for the war-stricken nation.
HINT = History International