Sec. iii] THE OLD PORT OF TIZ 91
porcellanous fineness. Incised and relief-ornamented pieces like II. vi. 88 (Pl. V) and iii. 178, 265 (Pl. Iv), were found in considerable number and variety. Among miscellaneous small objects may be mentioned the terra-cotta head from an animal figurine, iii. 168 (Pl. V), a large onyx bead, ni. 193 (Pl. X), and a bronze finger-ring.
Close above Kalandi a small hillock rises to a height of about 100 feet, overlooking on the north the abandoned area of cultivation known as Zerâbad. The northern slopes of the hillock, as well as its foot on that side and a lower ridge continuing its line to the north-west, are covered with low stone heaps marking ruined dwellings of modest size. On a small plateau near the crest the lines of the walls of a structure, IV, could still be made out. This was selected for excavation on January 29th, the last day I was able to spare for the site. The six rooms cleared were divided by fairly solid walls, about 2 feet thick, built with rough slabs of sandstone. The walls in a few of the rooms appeared to have been covered with hard plaster. Fragments of this found in room iii showed faint remains of patterns painted in black and blue tempera colours. In all the rooms there turned up fragments of glazed pottery, mostly of the type with incised ornamentation yielded by the kiln remains in ii and III. But in addition to this there were found fragments of superior plain glazed pottery, including a piece of thin bluish crackled ware suggesting Chinese porcelain; also relief-decorated pieces of pottery cast in moulds. Small metal articles, such as the chain links iv. v. 454 (Pl. X), and the object iv. vi. 477; numerous small beads of stone and glass, and a piece of thin sheet gold suggested a higher standard of living for the occupants of these quarters. Two small copper coins found in room iii have been recognized by Mr. J. Allan as Parthian of the first century B.c.
The uniformity of the pottery types found over the whole of the site points to its occupation having been restricted to one period: that this falls within Muhammadan times is made certain by the numerous graveyards, the extent and regular lay-out of which indicate a fairly large and settled population. Mr. Hobson, when dealing in the initial portion of his Appendix A with the ceramic materials collected in the coastal area of Persian Makrân, has put into full light the definite chronological evidence afforded by the close agreement of most of the glazed ware found at Tiz with types of Samarra and Brahminâbad pottery.3 The Samarra pottery belongs to the ninth century and that of Brahmandbâd in Sind cannot be later than A.D. 1020. Hence the prevalence at Tiz of the identical types and the definite evidence of their having been produced on the spot conclusively proves the occupation of the site in the ninth to tenth century.
3 Cf. below, pp. 244 sq.
IIIFカラー高解像度
