Treasure of the Oxus

It's 1880 and in the Panama work on the Canal has just commenced Edison has formed the first electric light company ,meanwhile on the other side of the world the Second Afghan War was on going.A Captain F. C. Burton a political officer in British camp at Seh Baba
was alerted by an escaped hostage to merchants held by a group of Bandits.The merchants on the road from Kabul and Peshawar had been offered hundreds of pieces of gold and silver when passing a village and traded everything they had for the hoard.The merchants having left the safety of a caravan and were taken hostage by the group of bandits,who fought amongst them selves with several fatalities allowing one of the merchants to escape and raise help from the British camp.Captain Burton and two soldiers ,out numbered, rescued the merchants, the bandits surrendering, leaving quickly with only some of the hoard.The Captain bought the armlet pictured below from the merchants then they went on their way selling the rest in the bazaars of Rawalpindi in India.This unique collection of 170 pieces was bought and bequeathed to the British museum by Soldiers and Archaeologists in India.



A British political officer with some Tribesman photographed in 1880.


The british Base at Sei Baba


The spaces in the gold would have been inlaid with Turquise and carnelian.





Silver ibex vase handle



Gold Torc



This is a relief carved at Persopolis the capital of the Achaemenid empire it shows tribute being given to the king and features armlets similar to the ones found at the Oxus.Pesopolis palace was destroyed by Alexander.

The pieces from the hoard are typical of the 5th to 4th century BC court style of Achaemenid Persia.Created by Cyrus the Great (559-530 BC)The Achaemenid empire stretched from Libya to Afghanistan and was the greatest empire of the Ancient world with an estimated 50 million people or 45% of the worlds population living within it's boarders.It was eventually conquered by Alexander the Great in 330 BC.




This is the British Museum Website type Oxus treasure into the search bar to see the hoard.
www.britishmuseum.org...


www.saudiaramcoworld.com...
www.britishmuseum.org... dex/o/the_oxus_treasure.aspx

reply to post by INQUISITION11


I'm giving this thread a well deserved BUMP
Very interesting find and read.

Thanks for posting.

Excellent post!

What a shame all the stones were taken out of the armlet, it must have been magnificent when it was intact.

peace
J

This is a well thought out thread and i enjoyed reading it.. I love it when people put time and thought into a thread as you did this one S& and a Bump for you!

Great thread S&F

I love The British Museum, always have to make a pilgrimage when I go home.