Afghan treasures kept secret for centuries have arrived to Australia, ahead of what some say is the most significant artefact exhibition of the century.
The survival of the hidden Silk Road treasures, some more than 2000 years old, is a story in itself.
As war and chaos ruled in Afghanistan, the collection was saved from theft and destruction by Kabul National Museum staff and stored secretly in vaults for decades.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
Curator Dr Fredrik Hiebert said that as Afghanistan was wracked by feuding and upheaval in the 1980s, they made a pact to hide the thousands of priceless treasures for future generations.
"I can imagine that it is difficult for one person to keep a secret for 22 years, but thirty or forty people to keep a secret for twenty-two years is astonishing," he said.
The diverse exhibition reflects Afghanistan's crucial location as the hub in the famous Silk Road, along which merchants plied their trade from Rome to China, and India to Siberia.
Behind every piece unearthed is an extraordinary story.
There are trade items placed exactly as they were found by French archaeologists in the 1930s after they had been bricked up in a warehouse by a merchant and left hidden for almost 1700 years.
For reasons unknown, the wealthy trader never returned to his well-fortified stock and historians owe him a debt of thanks.
“It's the only time in the history of archaeology that a Silk Road warehouse has been found in tact," Dr Hiebert said.
Also found intact, a collapsible gold crown worn by a nomadic princess.
The collection is on display at the Melbourne museum for the next 4 months, before moving onto Brisbane, and then to Sydney and Perth.
