Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures

Hidden treasure, acts of bravery, ancient empires and lashings of gold. Antiquity doesn't get much more exciting than this exhibition, which also comes with a very modern story of heroism. The objects on display are part of a trove thought to have been lost to looters under the Taliban. Thanks to some quick-thinking courage on the part of the Afghanistan National Museum staff they were actually tucked away in a vault. Rediscovered in 2003, the collection of pottery, glass, carvings and jewellery span millennia of human history, and tell some great stories along the way. The most beautiful items reveal the East-meets-West cultural syncretism that resulted from Afghanistan's position at the heart of the ancient Silk Road trading route – think Roman statues with Indian-style clothing, Greek carvings with Syrian motifs, and Chinese-Siberian influenced jewellery. 

The show is elegantly presented by the Melbourne Museum, who opt to create atmosphere using dramatic lighting and creative display stands and avoid cheesy video reconstructions. The audio guide, voiced by our own Jon Faine, is a must for any self-respecting history nerd. The only omission is a lack of references to the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. Still, it offers a very different, and infinitely richer, picture of the region than what you will find in the news. 

Melbourne Museum to Sunday 28 July