The isolated Mature Harappan settlement of Shortughai was strategically established in far northern Afghanistan primarily to control the trade and sourcing of which precious mineral?

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Shortughai in Badakhshan (Afghanistan) was an explicitly placed trading colony. Its proximity to the premier Badakhshan mines allowed Harappan merchants to completely monopolize the trade of deep blue Lapis Lazuli, which was heavily demanded by elites in Mesopotamia and Egypt.

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