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

Sellin leaves it an open question whether or not we have here in Ta'aneek evidence
of the sacrifice of children buried alive, such as was observed under the Canaanitic
temple in Gezer (Palestine Exploration Fund, 1903, pp. 32 ff.).

Naturally we are still less able in the case of Transcaspia than in that of
Ta'aneek to draw any conclusions as to whether such ideas underlie the method
of child burials. The graves at Anau are certainly different, not only in the
position of the skeletons, but also in the frequently greater age of the children
buried in them. Here we certainly have no evidence of sacrifices. The future
may throw more light on the burial custom of Anau.

In connection with the lapis-lazuli button drilled with an elbow-shaped hole
(fig. 338) we may remark that similar buttons were widely distributed in Europe in
the period of transition from stone to metal (cf. M. Much, die Kupferzeit in Europa,
2d edition, p. 95 ff.; Olshausen, Zeitschrift für Ethnologie, 1890, Verhandlungen,
p. 287 ff.). What connection may have existed between these widely separated
occurrences is uncertain.*

Mention has frequently been made of flint implements and flint flakes. Obsid-
ian is a great rarity. It is represented in a single well-worked arrow-point (fig.
386) in culture III. There probably it was imported, either ready-made or in the
raw material. The nearest source would probably be in the Caucasus.

Among the objects made from metal—copper or bronze—there occur few
which invite comparison with other fields of discovery. The ornamental pins of
culture I represent the simplest types that remained in use in Europe from the
earliest metal times up to the iron age and they have a wide range of distribution
(cf. figs. 238 and 240). In Anau, too, these types continue through culture II into
culture III. As parallels I mention only those from Troja-Hissarlik, whose stock
of types connects Asia Minor with Europe over the bridge of the Ægean Sea.
Thus the pin with a round cross-section and double pyramidal head (fig. 239)
occurs also in the Schliemann collection under the catalogue number 6292 (Doerp-
feld, Troja und Ilion, p. 355, fig. 290c); and the pins with four-edged cross-section
(figs. 238 and 244) will be found in catalogue numbers 6336 and 6353 (= Troja
und Ilion, figs. 219a and 291c). Special remark attaches to the scroll pins (Rollen-
nadeln). The type with a single scroll, so widely distributed in Europe (cf. R.
Virchow, das Graeberfeld von Koban, pp. 32 ff.), is wanting among our finds. A
corresponding form of head is seen on the tweezers from culture III (fig. 269).
On the other hand, the pin with double scroll is represented by two specimens in
culture III (figs. 251 and 252). In a general survey of the distribution of this
type one would have to distinguish between those with wire spirals (Drahtspiralen)
(e. g., in M. Much, Kunsthistor. Atlas, plate XXII, 5, and p. 62, fig. 18; or, Monte-
lius, Civilisation primitive en Italie, I, plates 7, 5, 16, 20, from Italian pile-dwellings
and terramara) and those with band-spirals (bandspiralen). The latter were
found in Anau. Their nearest parallels would again be Trojan (Cat. No. 6401, 6402
= Troja und Ilion, figs. 294h and 294i).