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| 0165 |
Innermost Asia : vol.1 |
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formations, has been convincingly proved by the researches of Professor J. Walther.¹⁶ The con-
ditions which are at present progressively wearing down that ancient range across the Taklamakān
are likely to have been determining factors all through those ages which have seen it in course of
being broken up and reduced to its present insignificant dimensions. Variations of climate may
have retarded or accelerated the process ; but in its essential features it must always have been
the same, ever since the Tārim basin became what it is, a huge drainage-less area cut off from con-
nexion with the ocean.
The explanation here conjecturally proposed helps us to trace a likely continuation of the
ancient range to the south-east, much farther away than the Mazār-tāgh on the Khotan river.
I have noted elsewhere that the Mazār of Imām Ja'far Sādiq, the famous pilgrimage place at the
termination of the Niya river, rises on a low isolated hill surrounded on all sides by dunes.¹⁷ This
hill, or rather flat-topped ridge, is covered with stony detritus overlying reefs of rock-salt. I regret
not to have brought away any specimen of the decomposed rock, and that the geological formation
of the ridge remains for the present uncertain. But reference to the general map of Serindia shows
that this denuded rock island lies almost exactly in the direct continuation to the south-east of the
line passing through the Bēl-tāgh and Ōkur-mazār-tāgh, and only a little to the north of the line
connecting the Mazār-tāgh of Marāl-bāshi with the Mazār-tāgh on the Khotan river. May we
not have here the final isolated remnant of the same ancient hill-range striking across the Takla-
makān, and completely decayed in this last portion ?
The analogy presented by the survival of the two Mazār-tāghs and of the Imām Ja'far Sādiq
hill, in each case above the west bank of a large river course, suggests the further query whether
remains of the same ancient range may not be traceable also in a corresponding position west of
the Keriya river, say between Chāl-öghil and Yoghan-kum (Map No. 13. D. 4). I regret not
to have looked out for such traces when moving along this portion of the course of the Keriya
river in 1901 and 1908. But I should not feel surprised if the exceptionally high sands, appro-
priately called Yoghan-kum, were found to overlie some decayed hill formation. This would account
also for the delta of the dying Keriya river having its head just at Yoghan-kum.¹⁸
LIST OF OBJECTS FOUND IN DESERT SOUTH-EAST OF CHOK-TĀGH
C. xxv. 02. Stone point (arrow-head), Neolithic ; very
delicately tapered and rather finely worked. Rhombic
section flattened at broad end for junction with shaft. Dark
grey chert, superficially disintegrated in places. Found
on surface of dusty soil, c. 4 miles SE. of C. xxv. Length
2⅝″, width at base ⁷⁄₁₆″, gr. thickness ¹⁄₁₆″. Pl. XXII.
C. xxv. 03. Flint (?) point ; curved, retouched on one
edge. Dark horn colour, semi-transparent. Broken at
base. Same provenance as preceding. Length 1¹⁄₁₆″, gr.
width ⁷⁄₁₆″, gr. thickness ¹⁄₁₆″.
C. xxvii (E. of). 01. Chert core, conical, showing long
narrow surfaces of fracture. Base ⅞″ diam., h. ⅔″.
C. xxvii (E. of). 02-3. Two frs. of worked stone ;
brown to grey, showing bulb of percussion. Gr. M. 1¹⁄₁₆″.
C. xxvii (E. of). 04. Fr. of worked stone. Roughly
cuboid, one side slightly pointed and showing conchoidal
touches. Opposite side broken. ⅞″×1″×¼″.
C. xxvii (E. of). 05. Fr. of chert core, reddish yellow,
from which long narrow flakes have been struck. One
side unworked. Length ⅞″, thickness ⅜″.
C. xxvii (E. of). 06. Fr. of stone, hard, grey-brown ;
granular fracture, as C. xxvii. 019. Roughly worked.
Edges very sharp and clean. Irregular triangular shape.
2⅛×1″×1⅛″.
C. xxvii (E. of). 07. Fr. of stone ; hard, grey, shaped
like lower end of scabbard, perhaps part of hone. Rounded
at one end. 3⅛″×1″×⅜″ tapering to ¹⁄₁₆″.
C. xxvii (E. of). 08. Fr. of stone ; hard, greyish-brown,
granular fracture as 015, &c., showing bulb of percussion,
1⅞″×1⅞″×¼″.
C. xxvii (E. of). 09. Shells found on dune 3 miles E.
of C. xxvii. Probably Limneidae ; cf. C. xciii. 02-9.
Gr. M. ⁷⁄₁₆″.
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