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

196   ARCHEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS AT ANCIENT MERV.

2. Without incision; glaze yellow, white, black, green (G.K. 66, 84, 95, 102, 112, 113, 122, 150, 187, 193).

3. With one-colored glaze, whitish-yellow, on which are superimposed ornamental Cufic inscriptions in black-brown (G.K. 125).

4. On awhite ground, green, yellow, and red-brown shades, with luster (G.K. 83).

5. Green-glazed, with scalloped ornament over which the glaze extends (G.K. 149).

3.  PAINTED WARE.

In addition to these glazed fragments, there is a particular group of painted ware. The patterns are laid upon the clay ground in dead-black color. Besides this there occur yellow or red spots (G.K. 64, 82, 85, zoo to 105, III, 120, 133, 151 to 154, 189, 191, 192). However, the painted fragments can not be separated from the glazed ware as regards locality. Their different groups are associated with each other. The greater number were found in outer digging I, and in all layers, to a depth of 20 feet 5 inches. In comparison with the ordinary service pottery, however, they are of rare occurrence. It is worthy of remark that the three groups c, d, and e were represented by only one fragment each.

It is equally surprising that on the upper digging on the acropolis only two fragments of the painted group were observed—one between 2 feet 4 inches and 5 feet, the other between 11.5 feet and 15 feet 5 inches. The glazed ware is entirely wanting.

4.  COINS.

The determination of the coins found in all the excavations of Ghiaur Kala was very kindly undertaken by Mr. Markof, Conservator of the Imperial Cabinet of Coins of the Ermitage in St. Petersburg. The results of his investigation are given here. The determination of the coins was rendered very difficult by the strong oxidation which many of them have undergone.

Two coins are eliminated as useless for dating purposes--an Afghan coin of the eighteenth century (G.K. 71) and an Ilek khan of the eleventh century (G. K. 2) . The first is modern; the other was found on the surface of the upper digging. The remaining coins fall into two categories—the younger and the older coins.

1.  The younger coins. These belong to three different groups, which I will enumerate in the following manner, together with the points at which they were found :

Samanide, tenth century: G.K. 116, outer digging i, 9 to 11.5 feet.

Abbasside, eighth century: G.K. io6, outer digging z, 4 to 9 feet; G.K. 23, upper digging 2i to 5 feet. Justinian I (527 to 565): G.K. 23; compare above.

But these younger coins were found together with the older ones of the first to the third century. Under No. 23 are marked at the same time Sassanide coins of the third century ; and in the same way Nos. I o6 and 116. There is also a Parthian coin of the second century.

2.  The older coins.—The greater number belong to the third century and are Sassanide, and even the indeterminable ones are, according to Markof, of a Sassanide coinage. They are classified here according to the different rulers.