In a barren mountainous region just outside of Kabul, Afghanistan, archeologists have discovered the exquisite remains of an ancient Silk Road settlement: worldly treasures of human history including homes, a hundred-acre monastery, and countless Buddha statues. Even more exciting are deeper excavations that have uncovered artifacts dating back 5,000 years to the Bronze Age. Unfortunately, the mountains also cache another kind of treasure: copper. While Afghan archeologist Qadir Temori and his colleagues delicately unearth profound relics that could redefine Buddhist and Afghan history, a Chinese mining company is setting up a sophisticated camp nearby with a multibillion dollar contract to demolish the area in search of this copper. The archeologists are given a year to complete an overwhelming 20-year task in a war zone with little equipment and an untrained, albeit devoted, crew. Saving Mes Aynak is Temori’s heartfelt race against the clock to prevent the destruction of this culturally significant site that could vanish just as it begins to reveal its secrets.  RYS