Curators' Tour of Silk Roads exhibition at the British Museum

Very recommendable!

Uncovering a lost mountain metropolis in Uzbekistan was part of the Silk Road

Very recommendable! They lived at an altitude of 2000 meters with six months of Winter. Iron mining/processing was their specialty.

Focus on Central Asia as ‘Middle Corridor’ grows

Recommendable!

British Museum: Smuggling Domesticated Silkworms along the Silk Roads

Very recommendable!

A princess smuggled the silkworm eggs and seeds of the mulberry tree in her headdress about 1.300 years ago

Tang dynasty tomb uncovered with a blond haired camel trader

Amazing stuff! About the Silk Road!

"Archaeologists in northern China have uncovered an ancient Tang dynasty tomb (A.D. 618-907) with remarkable murals depicting everyday life, Livescience reported mid-July. ...
Inside the tomb, archeologists found murals vividly portraying scenes of daily life during the Tang period, including men threshing grain, making noodles, and engaging in other everyday activities. However, one mural includes a “Westerner” figure with blond hair and a beard, likely from Central Asia, according to the report. ...
The unique mural depicts a blond man, not of Han descent, leading camels. His clothing and features suggest he is a Sogdian from Central Asia, who were known for their role as traders along the Silk Road between Asia and Europe. ..."

Tang dynasty tomb uncovered with unique ‘Westerner’ mural - The Jerusalem Post Archaeologists in northern China uncovered a Tang dynasty tomb with well-preserved murals depicting daily life and a Sogdian trader.

Stunning Tang dynasty mural in tomb unearthed in China may portray a 'Westerner' man with blond hair

This is a picture of the living workshop inside the tomb. 

This is a picture of camels and horses in the tomb. I guess, it also shows the blond haired man

Traces of possible Silk Road uncovered in Israeli desert

Amazing stuff!

"Cotton and silk fabric imported from the Far East dating back to the early Islamic period some 1,300 years ago was recently found by a team of Israeli and German researchers in Israel’s Arava region, suggesting that the ancient Silk Road trading routes from the Far East passed through Israel en route to Europe. ..."

Traces of possible Silk Road uncovered in Israeli desert - ISRAEL21c 1,300-year-old cotton and silk fabric discovered in Israel suggests ancient trade routes from the Far East passed through Israel to Europe.

A site where ancient cotton and silk fabrics were uncovered in the Arava Desert.

The prehistoric origins of the Silk Road

Very recommendable! After the collapse of the former Soviet Union archaeology became one of the neglected sciences in the then independent republics for many years. It was also mentioned there were significant warm periods some 20-40,000 years ago (long before the preindustrial age)! 

Why Pakistan Is China’s Best Ally

Very recommendable! Besides North Korea, is Pakistan the most important ally or even a colony of China? Is Pakistan (with nuclear weapons) a failed state?

China is building a Silk Road from the northern border of Pakistan to the Gwadar on the coast of the Gulf of Oman to e.g. transport crude oil.

China's new Silk Road - the longest train route in the world

Recommendable! However, it has almost the appearance of a Chinese marketing & promotion video!

Turkmenistan’s cultural treasures from the Bronze Age and Silk Road

Very recommendable! Amazing stuff! After decades of neglect during the Soviet occupation, archaeologists make major discoveries in Turkmenistan! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km1UzNmnT9E

Khazars: The Most Prosperous Ancient Nation You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

Recommendable!



"... Khazaria provided safe passage and imposed minimal taxation on traders, making the country one of the medieval world’s thriving commercial crossroads. The Arabs to the southwest highly prized Khazarian furs and clothing. The Khazars traded their own silver coins for mirrors from China. The game of chess likely originated in Khazaria, which exported it to Europe. Archeologists have found evidence that Khazarian traders journeyed as far as Sweden. A 10th-century geography book written in Persian, Hudud al-‘Alam (“The Regions of the World”) said of Khazaria, “This is a very pleasant and prosperous country with great riches.” ..."



The Most Prosperous Ancient Nation You’ve Never Heard Of - Foundation for Economic Education This country lasted over 300 years [650 to 965 AD] and covered more territory than all of Scandinavia.

Afghanistan’s Future Is Very Promising

Trigger

The Opinion pages of the Wall Street Journal just published on 3/18/2013 an inspiring, motivating article by Saad Mohseni titled “The Untold Story of Afghan Progress” (subscription required).

Comment

I will not go into quoting extensively from this article, but the author, who is by his own description the chairman of the largest media group in Afghanistan, as myself have a very positive outlook on the near and long term prospects of Afghanistan.

I am sure this country located on the ancient Silk Road has a brighter future compared to the last three decades of internecine warfare brought about by the former Soviet Union, Taliban, Iran, Pakistan etc.

The recent discovery of vast deposits of natural resources augurs well for this country. Just think of the Mongolia.

According to the above article:

1.       There are now over eight million school children (2.6 million of them girls), there were only 900,000 in 2001 and practically no girls.

2.       The literacy rate is currently only 33%, but is predicted to grow to 60% by 2025 (I personally think, this is a considerable underestimation)

3.       Urbanization is enormously increasing, thereby lessening the dependence on tribal and sectarian links

4.       Paved highways jumped from 32 miles (no error) in 2002 to 7,450 miles today

5.       Access to electricity has tripled to 18%

6.       The economy has grown from $2 bn in 2001 to $20 bn today

7.       67% of the population or ca. 20 million people use mobile phones

8.       and the list goes on

I once saw a documentary on how some courageous Afghan people risked their lives to rescue ancient and modern cultural artifacts of the National Museum in Kabul from the intolerant and violent Taliban in a clever way. This was impressive!

My kudos to the people of Afghanistan.