Treasure-Hunting in Afghanistan

Same People, Different Goal
When archeologists first began exploring Afghanistan in the mid-20th century, the discovery of treasures of unimaginable value ignited a gold fever across the country. Today, at Tepe Zargaran, a newly discovered site near Balkh, there is no need to post signs to ward off looters. Most of the local diggers on the joint Afghan-French excavation team were once raiders themselves.

• Treasure Hunt