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The Aryana Encyclopædia Society : The compilation of an Afghan Encyclopædia continued during the year. About 180 pages of the 4th Volume had been printed when a terrible fire in the printing press not only destroyed the articles laboriously compiled for the 4th Volume but also destroyed the 18-year-long labours of its workers. The Society has resumed the task of compiling the encyclopædia and it is hoped that the 4th Volume will be completed by October. Other publications of the Society, aside from the main task of compiling an encyclopædia, include the 3rd Volume of the Geographical Encyclopædia of Afghanistan, which, too, is expected to be completed by October. Archæological Operations and Museology : Activities in these fields include the continuation of archæological excavations and the reorganisation of Kabul Museum on modern lines of museology. (1) Three different teams of archæolo- gists are continuing excavations in the various parts of the country. Their operations during the past year yielded good results. (a) Excavations at the site of a fire-temple in northern Afghanistan were continued by a joint Franco-Afghan team. The most spectacular discovery of the team during the year was the unearthing of 16 one- and six-line slabs of stone inscribed with Greek and Kushani writings. It is hoped that a deciphering of these inscriptions will throw light on the languages spoken in the country two thousand years ago. (b) Excavations on sites of the post-Islamic period at the historic town of Ghazni undertaken by Afghan and Italian archæologists, entered the second phase. These excavations are being made at a place situated near the tomb of Sultan Ibrahim of Ghazni. The construction of the palace is very interesting and one of the most important discoveries made to date is the unearthing of a statue of Shiva, which was perhaps brought from India. Two boxes of copper-silver lacquer-work, reflecting the highest taste in this kind of art, have also been unearthed. (c) Excavations at prehistoric sites near Mundigak, situated near Kandahar in south-western Afghanistan, begun by a Franco-Afghan team of archæologists, have now ended. Articles unearthed at this site include clay models of humans and animals, flint arrowheads and tools, pieces of iron, earthenware pots, etc. (2) In Kabul Museum itself the year was one of the busiest. A U.N.E.S.C.O. team headed by M. Gabus, Director of Neuchatel Museum, was invited to help Afghan museologists in the task of reorganising the Museum. They accomplished the following tasks in collaboration with their Afghan colleagues :— (i) A new plexiglass cabinet was installed for the preservation of museum pieces. (ii) Two model rooms for relics of the Islamic era and Bagram were arranged on modern lines. (iii) Illumination of the interior of the Museum was effected according to the needs of museology. (iv) A new room for prehistoric relics was also arranged in which the finest specimens of 5,000-year-old pieces are displayed. (v) A "Fundukistan Room" to house relics of the Buddhist period of 7 A.D. was also set up. (vi) A room for Graeco-Buddhist relics was also arranged. (viii) A new studio and darkroom for photography were also set up. A new law for the preservation of ancient relics was also passed. 19