Lost World of the Golden King: In Search of Ancient Afghanistan

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University of California Press, Oct 18, 2012 - History - 368 pages
Drawing on ancient historical writings, the vast array of information gleaned in recent years from the study of Hellenistic coins, and startling archaeological evidence newly unearthed in Afghanistan, Frank L. Holt sets out to rediscover the ancient civilization of Bactria. In a gripping narrative informed by the author’s deep knowledge of his subject, this book covers two centuries of Bactria’s history, from its colonization by remnants of Alexander the Great’s army to the kingdom’s collapse at the time of a devastating series of nomadic invasions. Beginning with the few tantalizing traces left behind when the ‘empire of a thousand cities’ vanished, Holt takes up that trail and follows the remarkable and sometimes perilous journey of rediscovery.

Lost World of the Ancient King describes how a single bit of evidence—a Greek coin—launched a search that drew explorers to the region occupied by the tumultuous warring tribes of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Afghanistan. Coin by coin, king by king, the history of Bactria was reconstructed using the emerging methodologies of numismatics. In the twentieth century, extraordinary ancient texts added to the evidence. Finally, one of the ‘thousand cities’ was discovered and excavated, revealing an opulent palace, treasury, temple, and other buildings. Though these great discoveries soon fell victim to the Afghan political crisis that continues today, this book provides a thrilling chronicle of the search for one of the world’s most enigmatic empires.

 

Contents

A Lost Civilization
1
The Adventure Begins Checklist Numismatics
7
A Dangerous Game Framework Numismatics
27
The Gold Colossus Novelty Numismatics
50
Telling Tales Narrative Numismatics
67
WantedOne Greek City Archaeology
89
Letters Here and There Epigraphy
113
A Perfect Storm Rescue and Revisionist Numismatics
135
A New Beginning Cognitive Numismatics
160
Coins and the Collapse of Civilization Cognitive Numismatics
184
The Lost World of the Golden King
211
Notes
221
Select Bibliography
297
Illustration Credits
329
Index
331
Copyright

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About the author (2012)

Frank L. Holt, Professor of History at the University of Houston, is the author of Into the Land of Bones, Alexander the Great and the Mystery of the Elephant Medallions, and Thundering Zeus, all published by UC Press.

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