Input Junkie

Major treasure trove made public

Now, what is known as the Bactrian gold - 20,600 pieces of gold jewellery, funeral ornaments and personal belongings from 2000-year-old burial mounds - has emerged from hiding intact, a shimmering example of the heights scaled by ancient Afghan culture.

This gold was found by a Soviet-Afghan archaelogical team, then hidden during the Soviet invasion, the Taliban regime, and the American invasion. If the very patient people who've been protecting it feel secure enough to go public about it (though it isn't yet on display and apparently won't be any time soon), then things are pretty certainly getting better.

Library of Alexandria found, or at least a very early university

"Archaeologists have found what they believe to be the site of the Library of Alexandria, often described as the world's first major seat of learning.

A Polish-Egyptian team has excavated parts of the Bruchion region of the Mediterranean city and discovered what look like lecture halls or auditoria."

It's a major pleasure to get some good news from the Middle East, and I'm hoping they'll find books that we don't already have copies of.