Afghan Bactrian gold treasures to travel

WASHINGTON, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- The United States and France are vying to be first to exhibit the hoard of Bactrian gold objects, Afghanistan's greatest archaeological treasure.

The objects were only recently discovered in vaults beneath the presidential palace in Kabul, where they were hidden in 1989 during the Russian occupation.

The National Geographical Society confirmed Tuesday the possibility of a tour of the objects, and a spokesman said bids have been received from the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology in Philadelphia and the Musee Guimet in Paris. It said the British museum in London also has been approached about participating in a touring show, and Greek authorities are considering exhibiting some of the treasure in Athens during the 2004 Olympic Games.

The shows would help raise money for the Afghan provisional government's efforts to rebuild the country. The Bactrian hoard, numbering some 20,000 gold objects, was excavated from a 2,000-year-old tomb in Tillya Tepe in 1978 but never has been displayed due to security concerns.