Innermost Asia : vol.1 / Page 249 (Color Image)

0249	Innermost Asia : vol.1

A very interesting find made below the niche to the left of the north-west corner was a large Finds of
and fairly well preserved Pōthī leaf on silk (see Pl. CXXI), measuring 12 inches by 5, coated with Indian MSS.
a chalky substance and inscribed on both sides with a Buddhist text in Sanskrit and in fine Brāhmī remains.
script of the Gupta type.⁹ It is, as far as my knowledge goes, the first specimen found of a manu-
script on silk in Indian language and writing. In India the use of cotton fabrics as writing material
is attested by Nearchus.¹⁰ From the foot of the west face of the base numerous tiny fragments of a
Sanskrit manuscript on birch-bark were recovered, while near the south-west corner there came to light
also some minute fragments of a palm-leaf manuscript. These remains, fragmentary as they are,
of Sanskrit manuscripts on birch-bark and palm-leaf, found both at Koyumal and Bāsh-Koyumal,
are of special interest as suggesting import from India by the direct route that still leads from
Charkhlik across the Tibetan plateaus to the south. The palaeographic character of their writing
suggests that the shrine and the small fort around it were occupied during early T'ang times.

The attribution to this epoch finds support in the fragments of stucco relief figures, including Approxi-
the portion of a Buddha head nearly life-size (B. Koy. i. 05, Pl. XX), and other small remains of mate date
wood and plaster, found at the foot of the Stūpa base and described in the List below. Special of occupa-
mention may be made of a number of broken fragments of coloured silks (B. Koy. 01), one inscribed tion.
with a Chinese character, which evidently belonged to votive banners. There were traces of the
broken walls of small structures built against the enclosing wall both inside and outside it. The
process of clearing them brought nothing to light except roofing materials and rough pieces of carved
wood, of which the pegs or pins found close to the shrines (B. Koy. i. 06–7, Pl. XVI) are speci-
mens.¹¹ A small detached dwelling, III, of which the much-decayed remains were traceable about
50 yards to the NW. of the north face of the enclosure, was found completely empty.

There is no direct evidence as to the exact purpose of the circumvallation as a whole. But Purpose of
it is noteworthy that it is situated on the track which leads from Charkhlik to the mouth of the circumvalla-
valley drained by the Charkhlik river and thence to the high plateaus behind the northernmost tion and
K'un-lun range. It lies, moreover, at a point where cultivation would have been very difficult shrine.
to maintain. I am thus led to conjecture that the ruined enclosure marks a defensible post intended
to guard the approach to the oasis from the mountains on the south. At the same time the little
Buddhist shrine within it, close as it still is to the head of canals irrigating the present Charkhlik
oasis, may well, like the ruined Buddhist sanctuaries usually to be found at the 'Su-bāshis' of
Turkestān oases, and the Muhammadan Ziārats which have in many cases succeeded them,
have been an object of pilgrimage to the cultivators wishing to secure adequate irrigation for their
fields.¹²

OBJECTS EXCAVATED FROM RUINED SHRINE OF KOYUMAL

Koy. 01. Fr. of carved wood, prob. from openwork
detail. Fr. of plain edge at top. Below, part of openwork
pattern of intersecting curved bands of pearls or seeds
with plain oblong boss over point of section. Probably
from canopy over figure of Buddhas. 4⅜″×1⅝″×1⅞″.
Pl. XVI.

Koy. I. 01. Four frs. of painted wooden panels, in
green, black and white. Subject indistinguishable. Wood
perished. Gr. fr. 6¼″×1³⁄₁₆″×³⁄₁₆″.

Koy. I. 02. Part of wooden R. hand of Buddha, gilded,
life-size. Two middle fingers, half little finger, back
and wrist remain, palm split off. Through palm is small
dowel, and second at base of second finger, evidently
for attachment of some object to palm; cf. Ser. iv.
Pl. CXXXVII, Mi. xviii. 004. Fingers slightly curved and
tapering, with short-trimmed nails. Web between fingers
clearly shown. Good work, well preserved. 12″×3″. Pl.
XVI.

National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

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National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

Citation Information

OCR Text

National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books