Innermost Asia : vol.2 / Page 227 (Color Image)

0227	Innermost Asia : vol.2

drainage bed in which they are situated continues for a considerable distance to the north-west,
and may be assumed to be connected with the large salt-encrusted depression which the routes from
Turfān to Singer cross at Ārpishme-bulak (Map No. 29. B. 1).

Scrub was met more frequently also on the next march. Leading SE. over stretches of gently Descent to
rising gravel Sai it brought the travellers to a wide salt-encrusted bed fringed with tamarisk-cones, Āltmish-
and beyond it to the point known as Bakri-changche. The spring marking it appeared to have bulak.
dried up years before. Proceeding south from this point on February 14th the main range of the
Kuruk-tāgh trending from the direction of Singer ¹ᵃ was traversed on an almost imperceptible water-
shed. Beyond it the route led down a wide drainage bed, lined with scrub, which forms the head
of the one passing Āltmish-bulak. At the salt spring known as Kuruk-toghrak-bulak from a dead
wild poplar close by, a night's halt was made, reeds and other scrub affording fair grazing for the
camels. Thence following the bed down to where it passes in a narrow defile through the outer-
most hill range overlooking Āltmish-bulak, this little oasis of desert vegetation was reached by
February 15th.

It is clear that the route described above from the surveyor's account, though the most direct Difficulties
between Turfān and 'ancient Lou-lan', can never during historical times have claimed importance of direct
as a line of regular communication between the two territories. The routes leading through Singer route.
must always have been preferable owing to easier access to drinkable water and to grazing.

At Āltmish-bulak the camels were left behind under Hassan Ākhun's care for a much-needed From
rest. Afrāz-gul with the two remaining men set out on the morning of February 16th for the first Āltmish-
task indicated in his instructions, the examination of the remains to the NNE. of the ancient castrum bulak
L.E. which on the previous year's visit had been left unexplored.² Four days' food and ice rations, to L.Q.
besides plane-table, Ketmans, and other indispensable outfit, were carried by the three on their
shoulders. The route taken was the same by which on February 25–26, 1914, we had gained this
vicinity.³ Early on the morning of February 17th the little party arrived at the Mesa bearing
the small burial-ground, L.Q., noticed by Afrāz-gul on his first reconnaissance (Map No. 32. A. 3).

The Mesa, c. 45 ft. high and 300 yards long at its foot, showed a surface of salt-encrusted Objects
clay. Its top bore a number of graves marked by closely set pieces of wood after the fashion pre- found in
viously noted at the graves of L.F.⁴ In the majority of cases the bodies and the coffins containing graves of
them were found badly decayed. But the finds made in the few better-preserved graves, together L.Q.
with the character of the remains surviving in the rest, made it quite certain that the methods of
burial were identical with those observed at the indigenous burial-ground of L.F. In grave ii the
body was found badly decayed ; but at its foot an interesting object was recovered in the shape of
the carved wooden figure of a female, L.Q. ii. 01 (Pl. XV). It closely resembles the images of
similar archaic type in wood and stone, L.T. 01 and L.S. 6. 01 (Pl. XXVI), recovered from graves
on the Kuruk-daryā.⁵ In grave iii the rough coffin was found covered with narrow wooden boards
and above them with sheepskins. The body was wrapped in a thick woollen shroud ; the head
was that of an old man, with red moustache and without beard. The specimen L.Q. iii. 01, taken
from the portion of the shroud covering the head, shows a small bunch containing broken twigs
as recovered also in L.F. 1. 03 and L.S. 3. 01.⁶ Other objects, corresponding to finds from L.F., are
the woven grass basket L.Q. iii. 02 ; the felt head-dress 03 ; the wooden pins 04–9 (Pl. XXIV).

The graves traced, among which several were of small children, extended over a distance of Finds on
about 40 yards. Some 20 yards to the NE. of this area there were found on the surface the fragment eroded
surface.

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