Ancient Khotan : vol.1 / 534 ページ（白黒高解像度画像）

0534	Ancient Khotan : vol.1
古代コータン : vol.1

walls could be distinguished, manifestly the remains of small houses. These walls showed
bundles of Kumush placed vertically between layers of mud, a mode of construction identical
with that which I observed on the day following in the modern ruins of 'Old Domoko', and
which still prevails for the ordinary dwellings of villagers throughout the neighbouring oases.
Finds at
Ak-taz.
The potsherds, of several varieties, red, black, and a yellowish colour, were hard and un-
doubtedly old; but neither they (see for specimens D. K. 006 in list below) nor a bronze finger
ring with a jewel of opaque glass (D. K. 004, see Plate LI), which was picked up on the slope of
a loess bank, furnish any definite indication of date. Several small areas of open ground
similarly strewn with pottery débris were passed at short intervals for about one mile, remains
of mud walls being traceable, however, only in two places. Other small Tatis are likely enough
to be hidden away among the tamarisk-covered cones, but there was no time to search for
them. It was clear that, owing to their exposed condition and the vicinity of the inhabited
area, these scanty remains of old settlements must have been stripped long ago of any materials
of value, and that the chance of finding structural ruins was very slight indeed. Turdi Khwāja,
who rejoined me with a Dāk at Ārish-Mazār, had heard the site spoken of by people of Domoko
as 'Kōnsamōma's town'¹, and as an object of frequent visits from villagers who hoped to find
'treasure', but were afraid of venturing far into the desert.
Colony of
Malaka-
lagan.
Ultimately we struck the well-marked bed of the stream of Domoko, about twenty yards
broad, but now completely dry, all its water being absorbed for the time by the irrigation
demands of the oasis. Immediately beyond we emerged on land newly brought under culti-
vation belonging to the village of Malakalagan, where we camped for the night. The colony
had been formed about fifteen years before by people from the main oasis of Domoko². The
latter, extending on both sides of the Khotan–Keriya road from six to eight miles further south,
was said to be separated from Malakalagan by a barren belt of dunes. The reclamation of
desert soil going on at the new colony was a sight as cheering as it was instructive. Small
irrigation cuts were seen winding along the old tamarisk-covered hillocks of sand that had not
yet been levelled down by the combined effect of running water and the cultivators' digging.
Between them extended carefully-fenced fields. In order to save all arable ground the colonists
had sensibly established their homesteads on the top of the larger sand-cones. Here and there
the Toghraks of the desert jungle had been spared, particularly near the huts of the settlers.
But it was clear they would soon disappear in a hopeless minority by the side of the avenues
of young Tereks, Jigda, mulberry and other fruit trees which were rapidly growing up along all
irrigation channels. I regret not to have ascertained, in the midst of many pressing occupa-
tions, what specific circumstances had led to the establishment of the new village. But there
could be no doubt about the geographically interesting fact of cultivation here successfully
invading the desert.
Battle-field
noticed by
Hsüan-
tsang.
Before I proceed to describe my search of the next days for the old sites in the desert
northward, it will be convenient to set forth here what Hsüan-tsang tells us of P'i-mo, and
what had made me look for possible traces of its position in this vicinity. We learn from the

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