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Lost World of the Golden King: In Search of Ancient Afghanistan (Volume 53) Hardcover – October 18, 2012

by Frank L. Holt (Author)

4.5 18 ratings

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Drawing on ancient historical writings, the vast array of information gleaned in recent years from the study of Hellenistic coins, and startling archaeological evidence newly unearthed in Afghanistan, Frank L. Holt sets out to rediscover the ancient civilization of Bactria. In a gripping narrative informed by the author’s deep knowledge of his subject, this book covers two centuries of Bactria’s history, from its colonization by remnants of Alexander the Great’s army to the kingdom’s collapse at the time of a devastating series of nomadic invasions. Beginning with the few tantalizing traces left behind when the ‘empire of a thousand cities’ vanished, Holt takes up that trail and follows the remarkable and sometimes perilous journey of rediscovery.

Lost World of the Ancient King describes how a single bit of evidence―a Greek coin―launched a search that drew explorers to the region occupied by the tumultuous warring tribes of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Afghanistan. Coin by coin, king by king, the history of Bactria was reconstructed using the emerging methodologies of numismatics. In the twentieth century, extraordinary ancient texts added to the evidence. Finally, one of the ‘thousand cities’ was discovered and excavated, revealing an opulent palace, treasury, temple, and other buildings. Though these great discoveries soon fell victim to the Afghan political crisis that continues today, this book provides a thrilling chronicle of the search for one of the world’s most enigmatic empires.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Holt has done a service in summarizing the scholarship about this outpost of Hellenism. Well written [and] of interest. . . . Recommended.” -- K. W. Harl, Tulane University ― Choice Published On: 2013-04-19

"All in all, this is an excellent piece of work. It is readable, informative, and offers a thorough ... introduction to the history of the study of the Hellenistic Bactria." ― Hermathena Published On: 2014-07-29

From the Inside Flap

"Delightful and learned, and written in a crisp and vigorous style, this book will be read with great interest and profit by both scholars and general readers."

Stanley Burstein, author of The Reign of Cleopatra

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of California Press; First Edition (October 18, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0520273427
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0520273429
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.24 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.3 x 8.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,762,530 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #124 in Afghanistan Travel Guides
- #575 in Central Asia History
- #9,634 in Middle East History

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4.5 18 ratings

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Dr L W H Taylor

Lost World of the Golden King: In Search of Ancient Afghanistan

Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2012

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I've just finished my first reading of Professor Frank Lee Holt's latest book 'Lost World of the Golden King: In Search of Ancient Afghanistan' recently published by University California Press. I say first reading because this is one of those books that I will find frequent occasion to refer to again, if not re-read for the pure joy of it (such as I have found to be the case with all Holt's books).

It is a superbly written, entertaining and brilliantly informative account of the the discoveries and personalities that have shaped our understanding of the Graeco-Bactrian realm and its abrupt demise, including the central role of numismatics in this endeavor. It tracks the development of numismatics from the simple 'Checklist Numismatics' approach (practiced by most collectors e.g the Twelve Caesars approach to collecting), through 'Framework Numismatics' to the latest development 'Cognitive Numismatics'. The latter is a term coined by Holt to describe how the interpretation of coins through the 'chaîne opératoire' can provide massive insights into the people and times of their production and circulation, removing the focus from the king or issuing authority to the common man/woman, the broader sweep of history and forces that shaped it.... cognitive numismatics make the coins speak!

I highly recommend it to anyone remotely interested in modern numismatics and the integration of the latter with history and archaeology. Although specific to Bactria in the context of the book, the learning arising from cognitive numismatics, which is still an evolving discipline, is equally applicable to to interpretation and understanding of the broader sweep of the last two and one half millennia of history. Fascinating stuff indeed and a great companion to Holt's seminal works 'Thundering Zeus: The Making of Hellenistic Bactria' and 'Into the Land of Bones: Alexander the Great and Afghanistan'. It is a must read for anyone even remotely interested in the making of the history of Bactria.

16 people found this helpful

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JPS

An entertaining presentation of how little we know about Hellenistic Bactria

Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2013

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This is a well written and accessible book on how little we really know about Hellenistic Bactria following the expedition of Antiochus III, the Seleucid King, and his two-year siege of Bactra (208-206 BC).
There are several reasons for this. One is that most of the Greco-Roman written sources that could have informed us have not survived or have survived in only fragments or compressed summaries by later authors. Another is the sheer difficulty in accessing what is modern Afghanistan ever since the mid-nineteenth century when interest in Hellenistic history, archaeology and numismatics started to develop.

A third reason, to which the author devotes long sections of this book (and of some of his previous books as well) is because thousands of coins have and are being found constantly in the region but are smuggled out of the country and sold to private collectors or sometimes even to museums, therefore preventing any comprehensive identification and any analysis of their origin. The same occurs, more generally, for all archaeological artefacts in the region, with the national museum of Kabul having been pillaged more than once. Needless to say, this explains the somewhat long rant of the author on the subject. Historical evidence that could allow us to know a little bit more about this "lost world" is being destroyed on a daily basis because of the region's lawlessness.

There are also other issues at hand which the author discusses at length in the first part of his book, when presenting the historiography of Bactria. One particular point is that previous historians, W.W. Tarn in particular, have tended to come up with a narrative history of Hellenistic Bactria that owes more to their vivid imagination than to historical evidence. In other terms, they told fascinating stories, rather than history. Many aspects of these stories were in fact unsubstantiated statements that archaeological campaigns and numismatic findings have debunked, as the author explains in some detail. One limitation, perhaps, is that the author, by concentrating on numismatics, provides even less of a narrative than in his previous titles (Thunder of Zeus, in particular). Accordingly, reading this book at times imply that the reader has some prior knowledge about the Kings, pretenders and usurpers of Bactria and North-West India.

Nevertheless, the contents of the book remain mostly fascinating, including the section on Ain Khanoun whose exact Greek name is unknown but which was a major Greek city and very probably the capital of the Bactrian Kingdom during the Second Century BC. It was provided with all the trappings of a Greek polis including a theatre, a gymnasium, a propylea, temples, an arsenal, a palace complete with treasury and mint which may have been installed under the reign of Antiochus I, either between 281 and 261 BC, or perhaps even during the 290s when he was the viceroy in the East. Interesting points also include a discussion of the once prosperous economy surrounding the capital, with the two rivers providing ample water for irrigated agriculture and mines nearby providing a large range of minerals including precious metals.

The last sections, and in fact most of the book, are a dissertation on numismatics and, although scholarly, the author manages to avoid being boring and keep the reader interested (or, to be more accurate, he managed to keep me interested and focused!). It is in these sections that the specific types of coins are discussed, including those that are alluded to in the title (the "Golden King") and which include some of the largest silver and gold coins ever found. The composition and quality of the coins, and how these evolved and decayed over time are also discussed and used to show that the volume of coins expanded as the Kingdom became increasingly pressed and threatened, no doubt because it was needed to pay the soldiers and mercenaries.

A final finding is that the capital was not destroyed but abandoned but its inhabitants (presumably mostly of Greek descent or Hellenised) with the local populations living in the countryside moving to occupy its remains, and not doubt pillage them. We simply do not know whether the inhabitants intended to come back (some coin hoards could support such a view) or even what happened to them. Maybe they joined other Greek communities in more defensible locations further South or maybe they emigrated to nearby India. They have simply left no further record...

Four solid stars

15 people found this helpful

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Karthikeyan

Great book on a subject rarely researched

Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2013

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This book is a good book in trying to trace the history of a region and ruler not well researched. It also tries to encapsulate the various ways in which historians have been re-writing history of this region.

A part of the book though gets into hypothetical possibilities extrapolated multiple times just based on a single or very few instance/s of evidence. Interestingly, this book actually counters another book for the same reason.

Overall, a great book to read and understand even how history is written.

7 people found this helpful

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Bear

A well-written look into the past

Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2013

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With all that's going on in Afghanistan today, it's important to look back into history to see what lessons can be learned. The scholarly detective work is fascinating, and the destruction of ancient artifacts and archaeological finds is sickening.

3 people found this helpful

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Paula Ruth

Layman's opinion

Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2021

I was delighted to receive this book as a gift about Afghanistan history. It is well written and presented with a flair for adventure. Knowing little about the area nor having a previous interest in numismatics, I believe Mr. Holt did an excellent job of describing little details that a coin expert would see about various specimens. It is sad to think that so much history can be lost by wars and bling chasers, and he appropriately ranted about this. I was a bit lost at times in the numerous theories presented about the rise and fall of Eucratides the Great. I do not believe Mr. Holt presented his own theory but a survey of those out there and how numismatics supported or contradicted each. I especially appreciated the background he interjects of the society in which the coins circulated and Ai Khanoum. It was definitely an eye-opening view into a part of the world where our own travel would be dangerous and will prompt me to read more about the area.

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Argyraspid

Today's most complete update about Bactria

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 4, 2013

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This is the latest book by the author who has an unparalleled knowledge of Bactria, a country often neglected by and unfamiliar to most historians.

I absolutely enjoyed his earlier books: Into the Land of Bones, Alexander the Great and Bactria and Alexander the Great and the Mystery of the Elephant Medallions, as no one knows Bactria more intimately than Frank Holt. He was my mental guide and support-source when I visited Uzbekistan, so I couldn't skip reading this latest update of his.

As always, his work is very precise and consistent. After Alexander's conquests in 329-327 BC, the country somehow kept many of its invested Greek influences, eventually giving birth to the Greco-Bactrian kingdom followed by the Indo-Bactrian rule.

However, after repeated and devastating attacks by its nomad neighbors, the empire of "a thousand cities" vanished and from the tenth century onwards only the name of Bactria survived. We had to wait till the eighteenth century when a Greek coin was unearthed and the first explorers started their search.

Frank Holt follows them step by step, all through the 18th and 19th century, analyzing their assessments and holding their conclusions against today's still sparse knowledge about the Bactrian Kingdom. Not all the coins carry an inscription with the name of their Basileus and those who do so don't specify if we are looking at Eucratides I or II, Demetrius I or II, or Diodotus I or II, while on the other hand we still have no way to put them conclusively in their correct chronology. The studies of these earlier explorers have their merit, of course, but archeology has evolved since then, new techniques have been applied and the entire study of numismatic evidence has progressed.

Meanwhile, one of the "thousand cities" has been located and excavated extensively by Paul Bernard (1964-1978) till modern wars put everything on hold and destroyed his painstaking work. By now Ai Khanum at the far northern border of today's Afghanistan has made headlines and most of his precious finds have found shelter inside the walls of several museums (see the exclusive and still travelling exhibition, Afghan Gold Treasure).

Frank Holt uses the excavation results and artifacts from Ai-Khanum to reconstruct as much as possible of Bactria, whose most famous king was Eucratides. His huge golden "Eucratidion", was the very first coin that rose from Bactria's ashes. Sporadic texts and inscriptions, together with the various hoards add further information but also raise more questions.

All in all, the reader will get a fresh look at Bactria, its kings and heritage. Beside a full chapter about the mining and minting techniques including the knowledge involved, Frank Holt's book offers a wealth of information about every possible aspect of life after the campaign of Alexander the Great in the furthest northeastern corner of his empire.

4 people found this helpful

Leseratte

Lost World of the Golden King: In Search of Ancient Afghanistan

Reviewed in Germany on November 27, 2012

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Sozusagen brandneu ist diese- noch nicht ins Deutsche übersetzte- Publikation von Frank L. Holt über die antike, untergegangene griechische Zivilisation Baktriens im heutigen (Nord-)Afghanistan. Baktrien war seit jeher für sein Gold bekannt. Nachdem Alexander der Große gestorben war, herrschten dort zunächst die Seleukiden und dann die Diadochen, Alexanders Nachfolger, die sich um 240 v. Chr. abspalteten und das griechisch-baktrische Reich gründeten, welches später auch einen Teil Indiens umfasste. Dieses wiederum teilte sich nach nur 80 Jahren wiederum in zwei Reiche auf: das griechisch-baktrische im heutigen Afghanistan und das indo-griechische im heutigen Pakistan. Später- um 130 v.Chr. wurde Baktrien von den (nomadischen) Yue-tschi besetzt und seit dem 1. Jahrhundert v. Chr. herrschten nichtgriechische Könige dort. Wenig wurde bislang über diese Epoche und das griechische Erbe in Asien und Alexanders des Großen geforscht und publiziert, was das griechisch-baktrische Reich betreffend auch daran liegt, dass es im heutigen Afghanistan liegt und archäologische Forschungen bislang nicht möglich waren bzw. nur eingeschränkt und sich die Forschung weitegehend- wie auch Holt in diesem vorliegenden Werk- mit Münz- und Goldfunden beschäftigt, die noch lange griechische Züge und Inschriften aufwiesen und bis hin nach Polen gefunden werden konnten. Goldfunde wurden bereits in den 70er Jahren durch sowjetische Archäologen gemacht, u.a. die bislang größte antike Münze, die überhaupt jemals gefunden wurde, eine Prägung des Königs Eukratides I (ca. 171-145 v.Chr.), anhand der und anhand derer Holt aus numismatischer Sicht die Geschichte Baktriens, bei der noch vieles im Dunkeln liegt, aufrollt. Leider sind die meisten Zeugnisse griechischen Lebens und griechischer Kultur heutzutage nur auf Gold- und Münzfunde zurückzuführen, da antike Bauwerke wenig erhalten sind und vieles der Keramik nicht mehr auffindbar. Insofern ist dieses Buch- und die Forschung zu Baktrien- weitestgehend eine numismatische Angelegenheit, die einerseits recht interessant, andererseits jedoch auch ein wenig einseitig ist, da andere Forschungen leider nicht möglich sind. Holt geht daher ausschließlich auf numismatische Themen ein, die aufschlussreich, jedoch nicht für jeden interessant sind, z.B. wenn er recht detailliert einzelne Münzen beschreibt. Er beschreibt auch die Ausgrabungen im nordafghanischen Ai Khanum, einer griechischen Stadt am Oxus mit Tempeln, Theatern, Häusern, einem Gymnasion, usw., ohne jedoch- leider- tiefer in die Grabungsergebnisse einzugehen, und stattdessen schnell zurück zur Numismatik kehrt. Ein sehr gut recherchiertes Buch, das sicherlich alle zur Verfügung stehenden Quellen und Forschungsergebnisse zusammenfügt, dessen Schwerpunkt jedoch eindeutig auf numismatischen Forschungen liegt und andere Ergebnisse- etwa die der gefundenen Papyrustexte sowie der reinen griechischen Ausgrabungen- stark vernachlässigt. Dies enttäuscht, weil es bislang eigentlich keine weitere Publikation zu diesem Thema gibt, ein grober Überblick sinnvoll gewesen wäre und man schon ein ausgeprägt numismatisches Interesse und Verständnis mitbringen muss, um dieses Buch wirklich in Gänze schätzen zu können- nichtsdestotrotz erfährt man einiges über diese Zeit, über die die meisten wohl nichts wissen.

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