国立情報学研究所 - ディジタル・シルクロード・プロジェクト
『東洋文庫所蔵』貴重書デジタルアーカイブ

the eighth and the ninth centuries by Tibetans. It is hardly probable, however, that these graves have anything to do with the Tibetans.

LIST OF ANTIQUITIES FROM MIRAN

K. 13349 : I.   Small spheroid bead of gilt glass. K. 13349 : 12. Small fragm. of light-grey stone-

Diam. 7 mm. Pl. 38 : 5.   ware.

K. 13349 : 2.   Small bronze fragm., probably from K. 13349 : 13-16. Two complete and two fragment-

a vessel.   ary spindle whorls of potsherds.

K. 13349 : 3.   Fragm. of small wooden slip (label) K. 13349 : 17. Small rounded potsherd, unfinished

with nearly effaced Tibetan char-   spindle whorl.
acters written with ink on one side. L. 85 mm.

Br. lo mm. (has originally been broader, and has K. 13349 : 18. Fragm. of a spindle whorl of

had a suspension hole). Pl. 38 : 2.   sandstone. Diam. 37 mm.

K. 13349 : 4.   Bottom of wooden bowl, lathe- K. 13349 : 19. Unfinished spindle whorl made of

turned.   a round pebble.

K. 13349 5.   Sherd from the neck of a red, K. 13349 : 20-22. Three chips of flintlike stone.

earthenware jar with a row of im-

pressed dots, and, below that, part of a line of incised Tibetan characters. PI. 37 : 7.

Grave r.

K. 13349 : 6.   Sherd of a large earthenware vessel

decorated with a straight line and K. 13350 : I.   Bundle of dark-brown human hair.

across it a garland incised with a three-toothed

instrument. Coarse, red ware. PI. 37 : 8.   K. 13350 : 2.   About half of a wooden comb with

coarse teeth and parabolic back. L.

K. 13349 : 7-8. Two sherds from earthenware jars   85 mm. Th. 17 mm. Pl. 38 : 18.
with a handle emerging from the

rim. Red and brownish ware.   K. 13350 : 3.   Ear-ring of plain bronze wire.

K. 1334 9.   Sherd from the rim of a wide,   Diam. 23-26 mm. PI. 38:1.

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rather big earthenware pot. Brownish ware.

Grave 2.

K. 13349 : I0-I I. Two fragm. of small earthenware

cups (lamps ?), light-red and K. 13351. Small fragments of silk fabrics, red,

yellow ware.   greenish and yellow, in plain weave.

4. CONCLUSION.

The three ancient sites discussed in Part IV, Charchan, Vash-shahri and Miran, are situated on the old highway which is called The Southern Road. It skirts all the oases on the southern border of the sand desert that covers the larger part of the Tarim Basin, and connects China and the West. Its first beginning lies hidden in obscurity. From the Chinese records we know of its existence in the early Han dynasty, and it became a significant channel along which the Chinese exported their precious silk and such other articles as were desired in the West. Just as was the case with The Northern Road, this Southern Road remained in use after the abandoning of The Road of the Centre and its importance must then have increased considerably. The attacks of the Huns were a more or less constant menace to the

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