37 Archaeological Sites In Afghanistan Destroyed And Targeted With Systematic Looting, Study Says

Researchers claim that dozens of archeological sites in Afghanistan have been demolished to enable "systematic looting."

They claim that their study of satellite pictures gives the first definitive visual evidence that looting trends started under the previous government and have continued since the Taliban regained control in 2021.

Destroyed At An Alarming Rate

Researchers from the University of Chicago's Center for Cultural Heritage Preservation found 162 ancient communities that were destroyed at an alarming rate between 2018 and 2021, with the destruction continuing at 37 sites since the Taliban regained power in 2021.

The examination of satellite pictures of sites identified in northern Afghanistan's Balkh region has revealed the first proof of patterns of looting that were initially observed during the Taliban's first stay in power and have continued subsequently.

According to the researchers, the plundered sites date back to the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age, with some even predating 1000 BC.

The majority of these ruins are located in the Balkh region, which was previously the center territory of Bactria and has a rich history dating back to the 6th century BC during the Achaemenid Empire era. It was later seized by Alexander the Great, and it became a center for Zoroastrianism and Buddhism. It later became a center of Islamic culture.

The researchers found 29,000 archeological sites in Afghanistan.

However, beginning in 2018, they saw a new pattern in the Balkh region.

They claim to have spotted specks on the photos that they believe are bulldozers based on how they emerge and disappear over time, as well as the tracks they leave in their wake.

Later photographs show these freshly bulldozed regions covered in pits dug by looters, according to Prof. Gil Stein, the center's director.

"Basically, the people were clearing out vast areas to make it easier to loot the site systematically," he added.

Read Also: Hurricane Otis: Looting Breaks In Acapulco; Death Toll Seen To Rise, 47 Still Missing

Denied Allegation

After ousting the Ashraf Ghani government, the Taliban returned to power and vowed to safeguard the country's old legacy, among other assurances of a more moderate leadership.

During their first term in office in 2001, the Taliban startled historians by destroying a statue of the Bamiyan Buddhas, which had stood as the world's largest Buddha statue for more than 1,500 years. The UNESCO World Heritage destination of Afghan Buddhism was a holy destination for Buddhists traveling the Silk Road.

These looted artifacts could have been smuggled out of Afghanistan via Iran, Pakistan, and other nations, he claimed, and could now be shown in museums or auction houses across Europe, North America, and East Asia.

The study claimed that 162 locations were "devastated at an astonishing rate of one per week" over a four-year period from 2018 to 2021, which continued after the Taliban deposed his administration in 2021.

Officials from the Taliban government have denied the destruction and plundering of historical landmarks in the country.

Atiqullah Azizi, the Taliban's acting deputy minister for information and culture, said that 800 units had been dispatched to protect historical monuments.

"We sent various teams to check the sites and I can reassure you that there hasn't been a single incident in any of those sites," he said.

Related Article: Climate Change Jeopardizes Afghanistan's Failing Heritage