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Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

484   SKELETONS EXCAVATED IN NORTH KURGAN.

inches below the level of this hearth and out in the middle of the terrace was a plain undecorated pot like the others found above. Near it lay a half-burnt clay brick measuring 9 inches by 5.5 inches by 2.5 inches. This lay in situ, but was found to be broken into many fragments.

At this same level and directly below the site of skeleton No. 7, but lying to the west of the stone cup-mortar also found below it, were two pots in situ, showing remains of a decorative design done in black.

On April 4, 5, and 6, I excavated the four skeletons numbered 11, 12, 13, and 14 (see Report on Burials of North Kurgan), all at the level of +22.5 feet. They all occurred over layers of ashes mixed with bits of charcoal, and they all had near them burial objects, such as white stone beads (N.K. 114,144; plate 4o, fig. 2), carnelian beads (N.K. 114), lead tubes and copper corkscrew spirals (N.K. 185; plate 36, fig. I). With numbers 12 and 14 air-dried bricks were laid to form a partial sepulture. No. 12 was found beneath a layer of ashes as well as above one, though in all probability the top layer belonged to a later period.

The last thing excavated by me in this terrace was a large pithos. It lay in the northwest corner of the digging and contained besides fine earth a mealingstone of gently sloping surface (see Report on Larger Stone Implements, North Kurgan), on which lay a muller (see fig. 496) of cylindrical form, the battered end of which showed former use as a pestle. This was the only case in either kurgan where mealing-stone and muller were found together.

Dr. Schmidt in his report has treated the occurrence of the objects excavated in this terrace so fully that there is little to add. As it is just here that the transition period between the older and younger cultures of the kurgan occurs, his results and classifications of the finds in one or the other group is of the greatest importance.

REPORT ON SKELETONS EXCAVATED IN ANAU.

NORTH KURGAN.

When it became my duty to expose the skeletons in the Anau kurgans as they were come upon by the workmen, there had already been several fragments of human remains brought to light. One skeleton, more or less complete, was taken up in the north digging and reburied, as its position and orientation showed it to be the more or less modern grave of a native Turkoman. During the first few days there were also taken from the first terrace fragments of children's skulls belonging to at least five individuals.

When it had become clear to Professor Pumpelly and to Dr. Schmidt that human remains were likely to occur in more than a fragmentary and haphazard way, I was given the work of excavating them and noting their occurrence.

In every case where it was practicable, a large circle was drawn around the remains as soon as they were discovered and the men carried on their work outside its limits. In this way the floor of a terrace would be carried down 3 or 4 feet, leaving the skeleton untouched on a pedestal. This method was found to be of great help when the actual clearing of the bones was begun.