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

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

FIRST VOLUME.

PART L ANCIENT ANAU AND THE OASIS-WORLD. R. PUMPELLY.

PAGE.

CHAPTER I. EVOLUTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT OF CENTRAL-ASIAN CIVILIZATIONS    3-13

Undrained Central Asia: The beginning of Central Asia    3

A series of great and small landlocked basins containing residuary seas; these seas are

gages recording cyclical climatic changes. General trend toward aridity    5

Influence of Glacial period. Several phases of the Glacial period recorded in the high

mountains    6

Undrained Asia contrasted with oceanic basins; river-brought detritus graded and

distributed by wind instead of water; loess    6

Characteristics of loess as an inexhaustible soil; its influence on history of China and of

Europe    7

Richthofen's theory of origin of loess confirmed; all loess brought by wind    9

Expeditions of 1903 and 1904 show two sources from which wind derives the dust, viz, Ist, directly from products of deflation and of disintegration; 2d, from

alluvions or dry deltas and dry flood-plains    9

Our confirmatory observations on the Pamirs    Io

Bird's-eye view of organic processes in undrained Asia    10-13

CHAPTER II. THE FORMING OF THE OASIS OF ANAU    15-35

The Kurgans and Ruined City of Anau, Sites of Successive Ancient Civilizations    15

They consist of slowly accumulated layers of the débris of occupation (culture-strata) ;

their bottoms stand 20 feet below the surface of the oasis-plain    17

Exploration shafts    19

These give determination of relative rates of growth of alluvial sediments and culture-strata, 20-21; and of alternating growth and degradation of the alluvial

sediments    21-23

Deformation of the kurgans by wind and water through long time. Three distinct growths of alluvial strata with two intermediate degradations, since

founding of oldest kurgan    21-23

Shifting of watercourses on delta-oasis    24

Great height attained by city-mounds    25

Agencies active in growth and degradation of oasis-delta    26

Reciprocal sinking of plain and rising of mountains    26

Block-uplifts shown in the mountains and sinking of plains shown in artesian well at

Askhabad    27

Unloading on mountains; loading on delta; zonal distribution of sediments on delta    27

The battle between desert and oasis    27

Dunes and oasis    28

Surface conditions continue in depth, the delta alluvions dove-tailing with surrounding

dune-sands    29

Balancing of essential factors in delta-oasis building    29-30

Interpretation of observations in shafts    3o

Aggrading and degrading due to climatic changes    3o

Evidence of the Askhabad artesian well    31

Table showing physiographic history of the Anau delta-oasis    32

Irrigation. I2 to 15 feet of irrigation sediments    33

Those now in place not older than city of Anau   33

Irrigation now essential generally throughout the lowlands of Turkestan    34

Its introduction reversed the order of delta-building processes    34

Rate of growth of irrigation sediments    35

V