gems, archaeology, archaeogemology, Central Asia, Afghanistan, Punjab, Graeco-Bactrian, Kushan, Great Game, 19th Century exploration

Masson was one of the most remarkable of British explorers, who wandered over the Punjab, Baluchistan and Afghanistan, between 1827 and 1840, usually alone and on foot. In Kabul he collected vast quantities of coins which revealed previously unknown Graeco-Bactrian and Kushan monarchs and excavated a large number of Buddhist monuments. During his Afghan sojourn he became both an intimate of local amirs and warlords, and a reluctant participant in the Great Game. Masson's detailed observations of political intrigues, factional strife and social divides among the Afghan population retain significant relevance today, in our attempts to understand this complexand fractious society.