KABUL, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Archaeologists from Afghanistan's Ministry of Information and Culture have unearthed and formally registered 17 new artifacts from the Kushan period in northern Baghlan province, the ministry announced on Wednesday.
The discoveries were made during systematic surveys by a specialized archaeological team at the Kafar Qala site, located along Road 4 in Baghlan-e-Markazi district. The finds include five stone implements dating to the Kushan era, among them a hammering tool, a hand-mill stone head and several fragments of broken and semi-finished stone pieces, said the ministry.
The team also recovered 11 fragments of ceramic vessels from the same site and another from nearby Roads 8 and 9, bringing the total number of newly documented artifacts to 17, it added.
The artifacts have been catalogued and transferred to the provincial museum for preservation and further study.
Local officials emphasized the historical and cultural significance of the discoveries, saying they provide valuable new insights into the ancient heritage and enduring civilization of the region, particularly during the influential Kushan period.
The finds come two weeks after archaeologists identified two other major archaeological sites in the same province, dating back around 2,000 years to the Kushan Empire. ■