Politics & Government
Thanks to delays in the construction of a massive copper mine and a hefty influx of cash from the World Bank, an international team of archaeologists and more than 550 local laborers are frantically excavating the Mez Aynak site in Afghanistan, which sits on the old Silk Road trading route connecting China and India with the Mediterranean. (Jay Price/MCT)
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Archaeologists and local laborers excavate the main part of the ancient city at Mes Aynak in Afghanistan, which sits on the old Silk Road trading route connecting China and India with the Mediterranean. (Matthew C. Rains/MCT)
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Local laborers excavate part of the mountaintop copper works above the ancient city at Mes Aynak in Afghanistan, which sits on the old Silk Road trading route connecting China and India with the Mediterranean. (Jay Price/MCT)
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British Archaeologist Thomas Ely (blue shirt) and local laborers excavate in the heart of the ruins of the ancient city at Mes Aynak. Eley, an expert in metal work, believes the team has identified a building where coins were made from copper mined from the moutain above the main city. (Matthew C. Rains/MCT)
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A local laborer helps excavate part of the mountaintop copper works above the ancient city at Mes Aynak in Afghanistan, which sits on the old Silk Road trading route connecting China and India with the Mediterranean. (Matthew C. Rains/MCT)
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This is the courtyard in one of several Buddhist monastaries at the Mes Aynak site in Afghanistan. The two box-like structures (center) were built by laborers on the site to protect a stupa and a fallen statue from the weather until they can be removed. (Matthew C. Rains/MCT)
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A local laborer helps excavate part of the mountaintop copper works above the ancient city at Mes Aynak in Afghanistan, which sits on the old Silk Road trading route connecting China and India with the Mediterranean. (Matthew C. Rains/MCT)
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Archaeologists and local laborers excavate the main part of the ancient city at Mes Aynak in Afghanistan, which sits on the old Silk Road trading route connecting China and India with the Mediterranean. (Matthew C. Rains/MCT)
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The base of a life-sized Buddha, one of more than 200 found at the Mes Aynak site, sits along with hundreds of other statues depicting figures from Buddhist life and teachings in Afghanistan.
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A stupa and other structures are seen at a mountaintop Buddhist monastery on the Mes Aynak site in Afghanistan. The plastic was to protect them from winter rains and snow. (Matthew C. Rains/MCT)
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An elaborate Buddhist stupa is seen inside one of the monastaries at the Mes Aynak site in Afghanistan. (Jay Price/MCT)
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At the National Museum of Afghanistan in Kabul, a Buddha head can be seen from the Mes Aynak archaeology site. Aghan officials hope to build a museum just north of Mes Aynak. (Jay Price/MCT)
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At the National Museum of Afghanistan in Kabul, a Buddhist sculpture can be seen from the Mes Aynak archaeology site. Aghan officials hope to build a museum just north of Mes Aynak. (Jay Price/MCT)
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At the National Museum of Afghanistan in Kabul, a Buddha head can be seen from the Mes Aynak archaeology site. Aghan officials hope to build a museum just north of Mes Aynak. (Jay Price/MCT)
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At the National Museum of Afghanistan in Kabul, statues can be seen from the Mes Aynak archaeology site. Aghan officials hope to build a museum just north of Mes Aynak. (Jay Price/MCT)
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