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

dangerous through the undermining already referred to, and nothing new was
discovered above the level of +19 feet 5 inches.

*Terrace VII* (see figs. 28 and 29).—In the southern extension of the upper
trench, a little below the surface, we came upon two hearths at the level of +30.5
feet, one of which had a hole filled with an ashy earth, as in terrace II. Imme-
diately adjoining each of these, but lying 10 or 12 inches deeper, there occurred
skeletons (Nos. 10 and 15 in the special report of Warner). No further finds *in situ*
were found, although the terrace was sunk to +21 feet.

The pottery found in the upper layers belonged chiefly to group *y*, *i. e.*, to the
older culture; there was much less of the red and gray ware. Isolated fragments
of red monochrome were observed as deep as +24 feet 2 inches, but below this
they disappeared entirely. The conclusions expressed above also apply here:
the hearths and the skeletons must be assigned to the younger culture, since they
stand at the same level with the ash layer, +30 feet 7 inches, and the upper edge
of the wall, +30.5 feet, in terrace V.

*Terrace VIII* (see figs. 28 and 29).—The predominant monochrome pottery
disappears in the somewhat lower-lying parts of the southern declivity and the
surface contains only isolated fragments of the red polished ware. The great
mass of the fragments belong to group *y*. On the south edge of the trench, just
under the surface, at +25 feet 5 inches, there occurred the remains of skeletons
and four mealing-stones. Immediately adjoining these to the west, and but 7
inches deeper, there appeared the lip of a painted pithos (top diameter 19 inches,
height 13 inches). With its broad vertical bands painted in chess-board pattern,
it is an excellent specimen of this kind of vessel produced by the older culture,
of which we found indications to the depth of +22 feet 5 inches in this terrace.

EXCAVATIONS AT OTHER POINTS ON THE KURGAN.
(See Fig. 22 and Plate 7.)

*West digging*.—No new facts were contributed to the history of the kurgan
by the finds in the west digging. An earth wall trending in an easterly and westerly
direction had been cut through between the levels of +18 feet and +10.5 feet.
From its height and the finds accompanying it, this wall must belong to a building
of the older culture. The only significance of the west digging in connection with
the history of the kurgan consists in the finds of pottery made there, which connect
the layers exposed in the terraces with those of the "galleries" in the Komorof
trench. The digging yielded almost exclusively fragments of group *y*. Even
on the surface no fragments were found of the younger pottery which represents
the later civilization of the kurgan. This fact agrees with the observations made
in the lower-lying terraces; in terraces III and VIII the older culture was met with
directly under the surface. The traces of the younger culture must also have
disappeared at the west digging, the highest edges of which stand at the level
of +25 and +20 feet. Upon the surface here there was found the bottom of a
coarse, light-colored vessel made on the wheel; but this stands entirely apart
from all the rest of the pottery as a piece lying accidentally on the surface and
in no wise connected with the development of the cultures of the kurgan.