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Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books
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| 0459 |
Sand-Buried Ruins of Khotan : vol.1 |
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Taklamakan " as he was called in camp, just then turned up from
Khotan. His arrival was greeted by me with joy; for instead
of doubtful antiquarian spoil Turdi brought this time my long-
expected mails, the postal accumulations of more than a month,
and various much-needed stores.
It is impossible to refer here in detail to the ruins subsequently
explored at this site. They were found scattered in small detached
groups over a wide semicircular area, up to a distance of one mile
and a half to the north of my second camp. Interesting as these
excavations were, they yielded but a comparatively small harvest in
written documents. The two dozen tablets brought to light com-
prised, however, an important find. In one of the houses belonging
to the northernmost group I found the small tablet which furnished
the unique specimen of Brahmi writing already referred to. In the
same dwelling some fine specimens of architectural wood-carving
(see p. 369) came to light in the shape of massive corbels,
showing flower ornaments which are closely allied in style to those
found in the Græco-Buddhist sculpture of ancient Gandhara. Less
artistic but decidedly curious were the wooden boot-lasts we dis-
covered in the same house; also a large cupboard had been left
behind by its last inhabitants. A few hundred feet eastwards, close
to some high sand dunes, the embankments of a small tank, 48
feet square, could be clearly made out. One of the poplars that
once gave shade to its water still raised its gaunt, bleached trunk to
a height of 12 feet, as seen in the photograph at the head of this
chapter.
By the 13th of February I had completed the examination of every
ruined structure that could be traced under the sand. From a high
ridge rising about three miles beyond the northernmost ruins I
searched the ground with field-glasses further towards the desert.
But no indication of structural remains could be discovered over the
great expanse where absolutely bare dunes alternated with equally
denuded banks of loess. I was thus able to leave this fascinating
site, which had yielded such precious antiquarian spoil, with a good
conscience.
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502
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512
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522
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532
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542
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552
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563
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573
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582
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