Precious relics of Afghanistan's ancient past are returning home as the nation confronts deepening uncertainty about its future.
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A collection of 33 artifacts seized from a New York-based art dealer who authorities say was one of the world's most prolific smugglers of antiquities was turned over by the US to the government of Afghanistan this week.
"The significance of the material is huge," Roya Rahmani, the country's ambassador to the US, said Wednesday. "Each one of these pieces are priceless depictions of our history."
Rahmani formally took control of the collection in a ceremony Monday in New York with the Manhattan District Attorney's office and Homeland Security Investigations, which recovered the artifacts as part of a larger investigation into the trafficking of antiquities from a number of countries.
Now, after briefly being displayed at the embassy in Washington, the masks, sculptures and other items, some from the second and third centuries, are en route to Kabul, where they are expected to go on display at the National Museum.
