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0468 Innermost Asia : vol.2
Innermost Asia : vol.2 / Page 468 (Grayscale High Resolution Image)

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doi: 10.20676/00000187
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938 RUINED SITES WITHIN THE OASIS OF PERSIAN SISTAN [Chap.XXIX

Bridge of ancient fire-temple which some of those Arab geographers mention at that town. The ruined bridge

Takhi-i pul. of baked bricks now for the most part buried in silt, and known as Takht-i-pul, lies about 2 miles to NNW. of Karku-shah. As this is the direction which the main route from Zaranj (Nad-`Ali) towards Juwain and Herat must have followed, there is much to support Mr. Tate's assumption that this bridge was probably the same as that mentioned by Istakhri's itinerary between the stages of Basher (Péshawarân) and Karkûyeh.I3

Antiques   I may conclude this account of ruins of the Muhammadan period with brief notes on the

brought   specimens of pottery fragments and similar small remains brought back by some Balûchis whom

from sites

on Afghan Rustam, a local ` treasure-seeker ', had sent out to search on my behalf certain ruined sites in the

side.   Afghan portion of Sistan. I had no means of verifying the provenance of the specimens brought

to me and shown in the Descriptive List below, but the type of the potsherds, mainly glazed ware of Muhammadan times, seems to agree in the case of Nad-`Ali and Surhdik with the information furnished by Mr. Tate's report as regards the occupation of these sites.14 The pieces said to have been brought from Takht-i-Rustam are mostly of the ` ribbed ' variety and suggest an earlier date for the site, as also does the name. Its position is marked in Degree Sheet No. 3o. E. on the northern edge of the Hameln-i-Pilzak. The exact position of ` Pusht-i-gau ' is uncertain ; it is probably the same as the Pôst-i-gau referred to by Mr. Tate,15 a site to the north of Chakansur. Salian was stated to be a ruined site to the east of the Farah Rtld near Péshawaran, and is marked as a modern hamlet with a query in Sheet No. 3o. E. Sar-o-tar, from which the small bronze objects, Pl. CXVI, were said to have been brought, is an important site in the desert east of the Helmand.I"

Decorated   The fragments of decorated pottery, mainly glazed and painted, marked with A and B in the

pottery   List, were collected by Afraz-gul Khan in 1918, while engaged on survey work in Eastern Persia,

N f from

of   at two ruined hill forts situated to the NW. of the Sistan basin. The site of A was described by

Sistân•   him as being on a hill about 14 miles to the east of Sarbishah, a place on the Sistan–Birjand high road.

The ruins from which the pieces of B were brought stand on a hill rising some Soo feet above the same road near Khunik where it is joined by the road coming from Neh. Judging from the style of decoration, the specimens from these two places (Pl. CXVII) seem to belong approximately to the same period as the pottery of Burj-i-Afghan, and hence their inclusion here seemed justified.

SECTION IV.—LIST OF POTTERY SPECIMENS AND OTHER SMALL

OBJECTS FROM LATER SITES IN NORTHERN SISTAN

SPECIMENS OF POTTERY FRAGMENTS FROM ZAIIIDAN SITE

Zah. 01. Fr. of pottery. Dark grey, very hard. Plain ; prob. overburnt and distorted by heat. I4"x I$".

Zah. 02, 03, 04. Frs. of pottery dishes. 02, red, coated with dark green glaze over pattern in grey. Edge grey with series of oblique narrow leaves as border on flat margin of dish. Within an annular grey line a series of willow-leaf shapes in solid grey radiate from centre. A small triangular leaf shape grows on line and points down between willow-leaves. 31"X 3". 03, buff. Similar glaze to above. Floral border in solid grey and bold pattern. Glazed outside and a few bold grey lines. 2$"X 24". 04, similar to 02 but lighter colour. Edge solid grey, two inner

annular lines and small repeating scroll in grey within field. ISs"X

a•

Zah. 05, 09. Frs. of pottery (found NW. of Z. on eroded ground). Regularly ribbed outside. 05, dark grey with brown-grey surfaces. 2'g"X xi". 09, red. 2r x 1".

Zah. 06, 07. Frs. of pottery, prob. from same vessel. Decoration, incised bands of triangles, with groups of lines arranged fan-wise between. Av. 1i"X xi".

Zah. o8. Fr. of pottery, from edge of dish. Graceful curve in section with change of direction emphasized on outside by slight ridge. Lip grey. Border alternate

13 Cf. Tate, Seistan, pp. 205 sq. ; Rawlinson, loc. cit., p. 294.   15 See ibid., p. 187 sq.

14 Cf. Seislan, pp. 199 sqq.

15 Cf. ibid., pp. 224 sqq.