Preserving Buddhist treasures in Afghanistan

Some of the earliest statues of the Buddha are among precious items housed at the National Museum of Afghanistan.

But the US estimates that nearly 70 percent of the treasures have been looted from the museum or destroyed during four decades of war or under strict Taliban rule.

Now, historians at the University of Chicago and teachers in Afghanistan are working together to preserve what is left of this cultural heritage.

Al Jazeera’s John Hendren reports.