258 ANCIENT SITE OF YOTKAN [CHAP. xvl.
gold amidst old pottery and other petty débris. The latter objects possessed, of course, no interest for them ; but the gold naturally excited the cupidity of the villagers, many of whom had, like the rest of the poorer agricultural population, tried their luck " prospecting " for jade and gold in the river beds. So they set to wash
NORTH-WEST CORNER OF EXCAVATED AREA AT YOTKAN, WITH ENTRANCE TO 'YAR.'
the soil near the incipient Yar, and the proceeds were so rich that they came to the governor's knowledge.
Niaz Hakim Beg was an administrator of considerable enterprise. He sent to Yotkan large parties of diggers from Kara-kash town whom he employed like the men working in the jade pits. The owners of the fields which were gradually cut away by these " washings," received compensation. Subsequently the excavations were continued by private enterprise, the usual arrangement being that the owners of the soil and the diggers share the proceeds equally. The earth excavated from the banks has to be washed, just like the
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