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Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

EXCAVATIONS AND FINDS AT THE SOUTI-I KURGAN.   109

runner of the newly discovered culture. In the meantime we had reached a depth requiring the formation of a terrace, thus restricting the work to the central portion of the excavation.

At the level of +35.75 feet, near the east wall of the excavation, we came upon the lip of a pithos (a) standing in situ; and still deeper, between +32 feet and +29 feet, occurred several copper objects (a razor, a dagger-blade, and a needle-shaped implement). At the level of + 29 feet another terrace was formed. At this depth, on the west side of the excavation, there appeared the broken lips of two pithoi (b, c) and somewhat deeper a well-preserved copper sickle, a glazed spinbob, and a pithos (b), also a smaller but well-preserved pithos (d). After locating and removing these pithoi we reached the level of +21 feet 2 inches, at which depth shaft C was started for study of the deeper layers (figs. 36 to 38).

The examination of the pithoi yielded the following results : As pithos a had been crushed by the earth pressure, and preserved only as a pile of fragments , its original height was indeterminable.

Pithos b was embedded in the western wall. It, too, had been separated into several fragments, but was sufficiently preserved to be photographed. Its lip had been broken off, but different pieces were found in the interior. The diameter was 20 to 24 inches (see fig. 39).

Pithos c stood partly in the southern wall of

the excavation. It, too, had lost its lip, but otherwise it was better preserved than pithos b. Diameter 25 inches; height 31.5 inches (see fig. 4o).

Pithos d stood a little lower and near pithos b, but it belongs to the same layer. It differs in form from the barrel-shaped a to c, and has a narrow mouth, with a flaring lip, the opening being 4.5 inches, the circumference 39.5 inches, and the height 15 inches (see fig. 41). In clay and technique all four pithoi belonged to the best ceramic product. They were made on the wheel; a is red-toned; b to d are light greenish-white or dead yellow.

As regards the remaining ceramic finds, as the excavations progressed between +37 feet 7 inches and +21 feet 2 inches, uniform culture layers, with fragments of group 5, were disclosed. Only the different positions of the pithoi indicate the relative age. Since the lower edge of the wall mentioned above lies at +37

Fig. 4I.—Pithos d in Upper Digging.