国立情報学研究所 - ディジタル・シルクロード・プロジェクト
『東洋文庫所蔵』貴重書デジタルアーカイブ

the eighth and the ninth centuries by Tibetans. It is hardly probable, however, that
these graves have anything to do with the Tibetans.

LIST OF ANTIQUITIES FROM MIRAN

K. 13349: 1. Small spheroid bead of gilt glass.
Diam. 7 mm. Pl. 38: 5.

K. 13349: 2. Small bronze fragm., probably from
a vessel.

K. 13349: 3. Fragm. of small wooden slip (label)
with nearly effaced Tibetan char-
acters written with ink on one side. L. 85 mm.
Br. 10 mm. (has originally been broader, and has
had a suspension hole). Pl. 38: 2.

K. 13349: 4. Bottom of wooden bowl, lathe-
turned.

K. 13349: 5. Sherd from the neck of a red,
earthenware jar with a row of im-
pressed dots, and, below that, part of a line of
incised Tibetan characters. Pl. 37: 7.

K. 13349: 6. Sherd of a large earthenware vessel
decorated with a straight line and
across it a garland incised with a three-toothed
instrument. Coarse, red ware. Pl. 37: 8.

K. 13349: 7-8. Two sherds from earthenware jars
with a handle emerging from the
rim. Red and brownish ware.

K. 13349: 9. Sherd from the rim of a wide,
rather big earthenware pot. Brown-
ish ware.

K. 13349: 10-11. Two fragm. of small earthenware
cups (lamps?), light-red and
yellow ware.

K. 13349: 12. Small fragm. of light-grey stone-
ware.

K. 13349: 13-16. Two complete and two fragment-
ary spindle whorls of potsherds.

K. 13349: 17. Small rounded potsherd, unfinished
spindle whorl.

K. 13349: 18. Fragm. of a spindle whorl of
sandstone. Diam. 37 mm.

K. 13349: 19. Unfinished spindle whorl made of
a round pebble.

K. 13349: 20-22. Three chips of flintlike stone.

Grave 1.

K. 13350: 1. Bundle of dark-brown human hair.

K. 13350: 2. About half of a wooden comb with
coarse teeth and parabolic back. L.
85 mm. Th. 17 mm. Pl. 38: 18.

K. 13350: 3. Ear-ring of plain bronze wire.
Diam. 23—26 mm. Pl. 38: 1.

Grave 2.

K. 13351. Small fragments of silk fabrics, red,
greenish and yellow, in plain weave.

4. CONCLUSION.

The three ancient sites discussed in Part IV, Charchan, Vash-shahri and Miran,
are situated on the old highway which is called The Southern Road. It skirts all the
oases on the southern border of the sand desert that covers the larger part of the
Tarim Basin, and connects China and the West. Its first beginning lies hidden in
obscurity. From the Chinese records we know of its existence in the early Han dy-
nasty, and it became a significant channel along which the Chinese exported their
precious silk and such other articles as were desired in the West. Just as was the
case with The Northern Road, this Southern Road remained in use after the aban-
doning of The Road of the Centre and its importance must then have increased con-
siderably. The attacks of the Huns were a more or less constant menace to the

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