Archaeologist and explorer Dr. Fredrik Hiebert has searched for human history in some of the world's most remote and romantic places. An expert on the ancient Silk Road, he has excavated sites along this millennia-old link between Europe and East Asia from Egypt to Mongolia. Following this most famous of trade routes led him to Afghanistan, where in 2004 he identified the Bactrian gold—a trove of Silk Road-era artifacts lost during Afghanistan's decades of upheaval—and has played a key role in recovering that country's endangered cultural heritage, most recently by curating a traveling exhibition of treasures from the National Museum in Kabul. Hiebert is also a pioneer of underwater archaeology, having searched for evidence of ancient settlements in the Black Sea (with Titanic discoverer Robert Ballard), and in South America's Lake Titicaca. As National Geographic's archaeology fellow, he extends his infectious enthusiasm for archaeology to the public through speaking engagements, film, and other media.

Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures
Hiebert tells the dramatic story of the loss and recovery of priceless artifacts from some of the most remarkable archaeological finds in Central Asia, many of which are now on display as part of the traveling exhibition "Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul."

Along the Silk Road
Hiebert describes his ongoing work from Egypt to Central Asia in search of artifacts from one of antiquity's most important trade routes—the legendary Silk Road.