National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

784 ON THE ANCIENT ROUTE ALONG THE KONCHE-DARYA [Chap. XXI

(Map No. 21. D. 2) and the `new town' of Kara-kum 17 Along the existing canal and within the ancient river-bed stretches a broad strip of good grazing ; crossing this and the gravel-covered plateau above it we reached Korla town on March 3oth, after covering some nine miles.

LIST OF ANTIQUES EXCAVATED OR FOUND AT RUINED WATCH-
STATIONS BETWEEN YING-PAN AND KORLA

OBJECTS EXCAVATED AT WATCH-STATION Y. I

Y. L or. Wooden awl (?) handle ; cylindrical, carefully smoothed, with oblong hole in one end for insertion of tang. Small hole for suspension string, pierced internally through handle near other end. Length 3f", diam. ".

Y. 1.02. Iron plate, with loop carrying small ring-handle (found in loophole) ; suggests a sword sling or something akin. Plate thin, roughly oblong, narrowing at top to form long tongue of almost equal length, which was bent over rim and down behind. Ends of iron loop, carrying ring, were then driven right through plate, vessel wall, and tongue, from outside, and flattened out on inside, holding the whole together.

Upper part of plate bulges slightly, as fitted to rim. Small rivet-hole at top. Rusted, but intact. Plate (outer side) 2 " X 2", diam. of ring-handle r. PI. cx.

Y. I. 03. Fr. of wooden firestick, ` female ', with part of charred ` hearth ' at one end. Oblong in section, large size. 2r X I" x)('.

Y. I. 04. Remains of woven woollen shoe, of type Y. II. ox 0, &c. Frs. only of plaited toe-band, &c. Gr. length 5f".

Y. 1. 05. Misc. frs. of silk and woollen fabrics ; buff and cream, plain weave. Gr. M. c. 6".

Y. I. o6. Fr. of bamboo arrow-shaft (?) ; broken both ends ; charred. Length 3 g".

Y. I. 07, o8. Cherry wood stick (found in loophole), in two pieces (now joined) ; a hole drilled through thickness at each end with axes at right angles to each other. 22" X f".

OBJECTS EXCAVATED AT

Y. II. 01. Fr. of wooden comb ; large, strong, straight-backed. Length 3r, depth 2/'. Pl. Cx.

Y. II. 02. Wooden winder (?), for thread. Flat strip, well smoothed ; one end cut in two short straight horns continuing the long edges ; the other in three long pointed teeth, the two outer curving in slightly at end. Piece of string wound round plain central part, and knotted on itself. Length of whole 8h", of horns h", of teeth 2+'. Pl. Cx.

Y. II. 03. Bone die ; small cube, with numbers marked by

17 It is significant as regards the opportunities which hydrographie conditions would offer in this region for a big irrigation scheme if only the necessary population were available, that whereas the total length of the canal from

Y. I. ono. Heart-shaped bronze clip ; made of two heart-shaped plates, back and front, joined by three rivets. Back flat ; surface of front plate moulded with slightly raised edges and ridge down centre. Length fi", gr. width I", length of rivets". Pl. CxI.

Y. I. on. Fr. of bronze plate, shield-shaped, with two holes for rivets through lower end. Crumpled. &" x)<'.

Y. I. 012. Fr. of bronze pendant ; hollow cone, elliptical in section, with hole through apex ; lower edge broken all round, but possibly held jewel.

Sides orn. with : (I) round top, four rows of minute bead orn. ; (2) row of seven wedge-shaped sunk panels for inset of jewels or paste, divided from each other by vertical lines of similar bead ern. between plain mouldings; (3) round bottom (broken), row of one very fine, and one larger bead orn. Good work. Surface worn. H. ", base

x i?". Pl. CXI.

Y. I. 013. Bronze plate ; fr. of buckle. Roughly sq., with one side projecting in blunt angle. From opposite side project two tags (broken off) ; part of hinge of buckle. Through two back corners are rivet-holes, one containing rivet. It' x i".

Y. I. 014. Tongue of bronze buckle ; long, flat, curved in loop at broad end (broken) to fit round bar. r )â" x '.

Y. I. 015. Iron arrow-head. Flat lozenge-shaped head, with ridge down middle of each side, and small shoulder at upper end, from which projects long thin tang. Rusted. Length of whole 5", head la- x " (gr. width). Pl. Cxi.

WATCH-STATION Y. II

drilled holes as in Ser. iv. Pl. LI, M. I. iii. 004, &c. ; one opposite six, two opposite four, three opposite five. is" x 1' sq. Pl. cxl.

Y. II. 04. Fr. of grass fibre rope ; three strands, closely twisted. Length 9f", diam. I".

Y. Is. 05. Fr. of bronze strap-loop. Elliptical plate, with oblong slit down middle ; one side broken away. i-" x c. li".

Y. II. o6-8. Three frs. of rectang. bronze plate ; smooth surface, rough back, sunk line near edge. Traces of relief pattern on one side. Gr. fr. )}' x ii".

Korla to ` new ' Kara-kum is about forty miles, that of the Konche-darya between the same points is quite twice as great, not taking into account any minor river bends.