When the United States Geological Service revealed that up to one trillion dollars worth of mineral deposits could be mined from Afghan soils (New York Times; 13 June 2010), the world paid attention. Hopes ran high for a fundamental change in the country's economy — towards one based on anything but opium or Western aid.

But there is a fly in the ointment, at least for one location. The China Metallurgical Group Corporation, who won the rights to mine copper in the Aynak valley south of Kabul, are not the first to show an interest in the place. Buddhist monks entertained a flourishing monastery there between the second and at least the sixth century BC (Science 329, 496–497; 2010). The monks left artefacts, including clay statues and wooden and stone Buddhas, and a monastery complex of archaeological importance. These are now under threat of demolition: their preservation would complicate the mining.

On initial consideration, restricting the mining to preserve the monastery may seem a luxury that Afghanistan cannot afford. The country needs cash. The development of a mining industry and infrastructure could provide a source of income for many. And an alternative revenue stream from tourism to the archaeological site seems rather far off, given the state of the country.

But creating a working economy from the exploitation of natural resources is by no means straightforward: despite enormous riches in raw mineral ores, the Democratic Republic of Congo is neither stable nor affluent. Turning a wealth of raw materials into wealth for the people requires careful strategy and good governance.

The potential benefits of preserving an archaeological site are more subtle. From an Afghan point of view, destruction of the ancient treasures at Aynak could further undermine any sense of pride in the rich cultural heritage of the region that may be developing. And for the world at large, it would mean the irretrievable loss of a central piece in the puzzle of religious evolution in and around Central Asia. But of course, there is no easy way to measure any of this in US dollars.

Perhaps the supply of raw materials, including copper, needs a fresh approach. One way forward would be to limit the use of scarce elements in new products (Nature Geosci. 1, 720–721; 2008). A complementary approach would be to scale up the use of precious metals in waste products such as old computers and mobile phones. According to a United Nations Environmental Programme report published earlier this year, around 30% of the primary production of copper went into electric and electronic equipment in 2006 — eventually to be dumped (http://go.nature.com/amMbCa).

As the volumes of electronic waste are expected to multiply, systematic and widespread recycling could take some of the pressure off the mining industry — and the price of copper. Preservation of the remains of a monastery that has withstood centuries of turmoil would then, perhaps, seem less extravagant.