How was the Bactrian gold collection kept safe during Afghanistan’s years of conflict?

The Bactrian gold collection, which dates from 100 BCE to 100 CE, was successfully preserved during Afghanistan’s years of conflict by being hidden in a vault within a presidential palace in Kabul.1

While the National Museum of Afghanistan suffered catastrophic damage and looting during the civil war in the 1990s, the gold collection had been moved to this secure location for safekeeping as early as 1988. The collection was feared lost for many years until it was finally retrieved from the vault in 2003, following the international community's efforts to restore the museum.1