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Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

SKELETONS EXCAVATED IN NORTH KURGAN.   485

The material of the kurgan was so closely packed as to make fine work extremely difficult, and nearly all the skeletons were so delicate that exposure to wind and sun destroyed them. I found that a soft brush and a fine knife-blade were often none too nice for the work. When air-dried bricks appeared, often the only way of detecting them was by the faint outlined contours in the cutting, for they were as easy to work in as the material of the hill itself. The layers of ashes and charcoal that so often occurred under the skeletons as well as in other places came as a pleasant relief to the workers.

The human remains were uncovered from above and drawn and photographed while still embedded enough to be supported. When this was done the upper bones were removed and the position of the hidden portions carefully noted. Then the earth for some distance around was thoroughly searched for burial objects. In taking out the minute beads found with some of the skeletons, notably No. 9, it was found that even a very close sieve could not be trusted and that the fingers were more sensitive and sure. In this way many square feet of earth passed through my hands, and though the work was delayed it proved well worth while, for from that burial alone we took I,o66 drilled beads, each scarcely larger than a pin-head (see plate 40, fig. 5).

The three highest skeletons were excavated by Dr. Schmidt :* r at + 36 feet in terrace Iv; 3 at +34 feet in terrace v, and e in terrace v, at +3o feet 2 inches above datum.

Skeleton No. z (s).—For the description of the latter, I quote from his notes:

This child's skeleton is 62 cm. long, with its head to the south lying on the right side, but disturbed and partly destroyed by the pick. The trunk is on its back, inclined to the right, the left arm on the left side with that hand by the pelvis. The right arm is destroyed. The pelvis bones are spread to the left and right. The right leg, bent at the knee, is on the left side. The right leg is ill preserved, with the upper part drawn up and to the right; the lower bones of it are lacking.

Skeleton No. 5 (u).—The next skeleton in order of altitude was one I have called " No. 5" (see fig. 534). It lay at an altitude of + 3o feet in terrace I. The bones were those of a young child, for the cranial sutures gaped wide and the epiphyses separated off the long bones. The body was placed on its right side, lying in a contracted position, with the head toward the southeast. The left arm

* Das beruht auf Missverständnissen. Ich finde in meinem Tagebuch folgende Notizen:

"Sonnabend d. 2. April. * * *

"Terrasse IV. Es wird wieder das Skelett (i. e., y) eines Kindes in der Lage der liegenden Hocker auf der rechten Seite von Herrn Warner freigeregt und photographiert. Beigaben fehlen.

"Terrasse V. * * * Neben dem Topf (i. e., +34.5 feet) etwas unter dem Niveau, auf dem er steht, werden Skelette aufgedeckt und unter diesen die Spuren eines tieferen Topfes (i. e., +33 feet) * * * Herr Warner legt die Skelette frei; es ist ein unentwirrbarer Haufen von mehreren Kinderskeletten (i. e., 6), der von ihm beseitigt wird. * * *

"Dienstag den 5. April. * * *

" Terrasse V, ca. 20 cm. unter dem Niveau der Kalkschicht, südwestlich davon, neben der aufgedeckten Mauer, die Reste eines zerstörten Kinderskelettes (i. e., e). * * * Das Kinderskelett ist

-   62 cm. lang. Kopf nach Süden auf der rechten Seite, aber verschoben und durch die Hacke z. T.
zerstört. Rumpf auf dem Rücken mit einer Wendung nach rechts, linker Arm auf der linken Seite, linke Hand in Beckenhöhe, rechter Arm zerstört; linkes Bein an der linken Seite und im Knie gebogen, rechtes Bein nur unvollständig erhalten, rechter Oberschenkel nach rechts und nach oben gezogen, rechter Unterschenkel fehlt."

Also nur Skelett s habe ich herausgenommen und zwar weil Herr Warner gerade in Terrasse II be-

schäfligt war.

DR. HUBERT SCHMIDT.

BERLIN, d. 29. Miirz, 1908.