National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books
|
|
Color Thumbnail -
Table of Contents -
Page Number -
Biliographic Information (Metadata) -
Caption -
Color Image -
Gray HighRes. Image -
Facing Pages -
Graphics -
| 0164 |
On Ancient Central-Asian Tracks : vol.1 |
Citation Information
OCR Text
east breeze raised from the dug-up rubbish-heap, to mark
and carefully tabulate every inscribed piece. Yet it was
obviously necessary to keep accurate record of the relative
position in which each object was found; for this might help
to establish the chronological order and possibly the internal
connexion of the dispersed documents. For three long work-
ing days I had to inhale the odours of this antique dirt and
litter, still pungent after so many centuries.
The diversity in form and material of the documents was
quite as remarkable as their good preservation. The first few
hours' work brought to light complete Kharoshthi docu-
ments on leather (Fig. 42). The oblong sheets of carefully
prepared sheepskin, of which altogether two dozen were
recovered, showed different sizes but were always folded up
in the same way into neat little rolls. The Kharoshthi text
covering the inner surface is usually written in a clear clerical
hand and the black ink has remained very fresh. At the head
of each document I could read with certainty the same in-
troductory formula already referred to as indicating official
origin. The dating is given separately below, usually only
by month and day.
Still more interesting information as to clerical practice
was yielded by the abundant finds of Kharoshthi tablets.
Many of those unearthed here still retained intact the
original clay seals and strings with which they had been
fastened (Fig. 44). There could be no doubt that wood was
the general stationery. It was hence particularly fortunate
that I could now definitely ascertain all technicalities con-
nected with its use.
The wedge-shaped tablets (Fig. 38) which were in favour
for short communications, especially those of a quasi demi-
1
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
13
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
23
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
33
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
45
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
57
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
68
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
79
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
89
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
100
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
111
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
122
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
134
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
145
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
157
.
.
.
161
163
164
165
166
.
168
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
178
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
189
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
200
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
212
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
225
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
237
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
248
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
259
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
273
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
284
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
295
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
306
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
317
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
327
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
337
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
352
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
364
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
377
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
391
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
406
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
418
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
431
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
442
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
453
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
466
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
477
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
491
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
502
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
513
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
525
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
537
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
550
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
561
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
571
.
.
.
.
|
578
Copyright (C) 2003-2026
National Institute of Informatics
and
The Toyo Bunko. All Rights Reserved.
