More than 2,000 years ago, six Bactrian nomads built their tombs atop the small mound of Tillya Tepe (“Mound of Gold”) in the barren plains of northern Afghanistan. While their tombs were relatively simple affairs, the nomads wore burial garments adorned with intricately carved gold and jewelry. Upon their discovery in 1978, it became known as the “Bactrian Hoard.” One of the more remarkable finds from the tombs is a pair of bejeweled pendants depicting the so-called “Dragon Master,” one of which is shown here. The pendant is topped by a crowned man wearing a traditional central-Asian tunic who […]
