Innermost Asia : vol.2 / Page 509 (Color Image)

0509	Innermost Asia : vol.2

off in an almost southerly direction. This ruin, too, has suffered much ; but the outer wall to the
south still stands to about 10 feet in height.

The ruined station R.R. xiv, half a mile to the SW., showed a ground plan (Pl. 59) somewhat
larger than the rest and differing in the internal arrangement. The interior has suffered through
a drainage channel which has formed in the centre. The outside dimensions of the enclosing walls
are about 77 feet by 54. They are strengthened by small towers at the four corners, all badly
decayed, and a fifth projecting on the eastern face. There seems in addition to have been some kind
of projection on the south, perhaps intended to protect the entrance on that side. A second entrance
with a pointed arch is recognizable near the SE. corner and probably gave access to a staircase.
Similar vaulting survives over part of the central room on the north, having a span of close on 15
feet. The masonry exposed on the east and south faces shows bricks about 24″×13″×4″, set on
edge with the longer side upwards. They contain much straw. The eastern face still rises to a
height of over 15 feet. Shepherds visiting the neighbourhood during the few weeks of spring
vegetation have used the shelter of the ruin, as proved by the droppings of their flock, and this
accounts for the glazed potsherds of recent appearance that I noted there. A small structure,
about ¼ mile to the ESE., built of stamped clay and comprising three rooms, appeared also to be
of late origin ; it may date from the last period when land near the debouchure of the Rūd-i-biyābān
is known to have been cultivated.

The ruin R.R. xx, less than 1½ miles due south, is that of a post of the smaller size, measuring
45 feet by 42 outside and showing the typical arrangement of vaulted chambers inside, as seen
in the sketch-plan, Pl. 59. It is situated above the right bank of a wide scrub-filled depression.
This comes from the debouchure of the Rūd-i-biyābān and contains the canal which until a century
ago carried water to Machī and Hauzdār, as already noticed at R.R. iv, v. The room, i, to the
left of the entrance was less heavily filled with debris from fallen walls than the rest, and this I was
able to get cleared during the two days' halt that we made by the side of another old canal-bed,
not far from the Muhammadan sepulchral domes which the map marks as Yak-gumbaz. The clear-
ing of room i brought to light a sitting platform running round three sides (see Fig. 493 and detailed
plan, Pl. 59), and underneath it a hypocaustic passage obviously intended for the warming of
this room. At the openings, A, B, of this towards the entrance the plaster was found calcined. The
whole strikingly recalled the k'ang arrangement in Chinese houses. The floor of the room lined
with bricks, 16″×15″, was raised 2 feet above that of the entrance passage, and the sitting platform
another 1′ 10″. The little recess in the raised masonry bench above the opening A may have been
intended for the heating of vessels containing water or some similar purpose. Some lumps of clay,
each about 2½″ high and of pyramidal shape, were found inside this hypocaust opening and were,
perhaps, meant to be fired and then to serve as loom-weights.

On the other side of the wide bed and about 400 yards to the WSW. of R.R. xx we discovered
the badly decayed remains of another post of the same type. The southern face, which was the
easiest to trace, measured about 40 feet and showed bricks of the regular size, 24″×12″×4″. The
structure had obviously suffered through moisture. The line of posts that we had succeeded in
following so far led from R.R. xii onwards more or less due south, and naturally it was in that
direction that I searched for its continuation. But here at R.R. xxi, where we had struck the
northern limit of the still recognizable delta of the Rūd-i-biyābān, it seemed to come to an end. So
far one ruin sighted from the other had afforded easy guidance. The careful reconnaissance I made
from this last point to the south took me in succession across four old river-beds, all branching
from near the point where our camp stood, close to the pillar-marked Perso-Afghān boundary.
But though the low gravel-covered plateaus separating these dry river branches were perfectly

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