The wind sweeps over the barren hillsides of Logar province just 25 miles southeast of Kabul, blowing dust over unearthed sections of the ruins of Mes Aynak. A young archaeologist takes a break to show off a latest find at the precious historical site, in a rugged area the size of Pompeii. “Mes Aynak is the most important discovery in my career,” said Qadir Temori, head preservation archaeologist at Mes Aynak. “We have worked so hard to protect this ancient site, even risking our lives to save it.” That is not easy in a country that has spent decades riled by conflict. As well as the huge human and economic costs, there has been cultural loss too — most infamously in the 2001 destruction by Taliban authorities of two giant sculptures of the Buddha at Bamiyan.

The project goes to the heart of a debate about one of the great contrasts of Afghanistan: that a country of immense riches is so dogged by poverty. Five years ago, U.S. government officials revealed numbers suggesting that war-ravaged Afghanistan was sitting on some $1 trillion in mineral wealth. Other studies point to figures as high as $3 trillion. Massive quantities of copper, iron and gold sit in the earth under Afghanistan. But developing those resources is beset with problems such as the Taliban insurgency, rampant corruption, an underdeveloped private sector, infrastructure woes and environmental concerns. All of these problems, and more, are present at Mes Aynak, where angry locals also resent forced displacement of six villages. “Most of the residents have been either forced out, have left, or they’re not allowed to return,” said Javed Noorani of Integrity Watch Afghanistan, a watchdog group that advocates for increased transparency. “They are losing everything, they will have to be compensated, discuss things properly, consulted properly, and then resettled.” Lal Agha, a local village elder whose community has been relocated by the project, said, “We are all helpless. We don’t have a way to fight for our human rights.” Agha also draws the connection between locals’ grievances with their own government over displacement and general security woes that plague local police and the Chinese mining effort. “The government is responsible for creating [the security problems] by grabbing people’s lands, beating them up, and humiliating and disrespecting their values,” Agha said. “It’s when people fight back, the government calls them ‘Al-Qaeda.’ “If the people are happy with the Chinese [mining company], then why are missiles being fired into Mes Aynak? People are angry,” he added.

The government is responsible for creating [the security problems] by grabbing people’s lands, beating them up, and humiliating and disrespecting their values. It’s when people fight back, the government calls them ‘Al-Qaeda.’ Lal Agha village elder, Mes Aynak