Ancient Khotan : vol.1 / 546 ページ（白黒高解像度画像）

0546	Ancient Khotan : vol.1
古代コータン : vol.1

some smaller mounds having been completely levelled in the course of these operations. No
recent excavations were acknowledged, except in the case of one of the northernmost mounds,
about 48 ft. in diameter and 12 ft. high, which was said to have been opened by Chîra cultivators
some two months earlier. The exposed portions of the mounds showed everywhere thin layers
of small pieces of Toghrak wood, bark, and thorny scrub, mixed up with the coarse sand and
gravel of the surrounding ground. Nowhere could I find in the cuttings remains of walls or
traces of any other regular construction. The pieces of wood were far too small to have served
for building purposes. Much of it appeared charred, and on digging down to the ground in
the second tumulus from the south I came on a layer of wood 6 in. thick which was practically
reduced to the condition of charcoal. The ground below this layer consisted of a hard clayey
soil which generally seems to underlie here the gravel and pebbles of the 'Sai.'
Human
remains
in mounds. The villagers, perhaps by order of the Bëg, who probably was anxious to avoid possible
inquiries by the Amban as to finds made, &c., denied all knowledge as to the contents or purpose
of the mounds. But when I had picked up two human thigh bones, about 17 in. long, near the
recently opened mound on the north, they seemed inclined to admit that human remains had been
found also elsewhere. Subsequent inquiries at Gulakhma in fact showed that two skeletons
at least had been found in the course of the latest diggings, but the bones had been gathered
again and buried somewhere from superstitious fear. From the loose gravel of the same mound
where the two above-mentioned bones lay, some ragged fabrics of cotton were picked up by
me; of these the pieces illustrated in Pl. LXXVI (see also list below) are specimens. One
of them is a coarse cotton stuff resembling in colour mummy cloth, the other of finer make
shows buff colour with a small diaper pattern.

Character
of tumuli. I was unable to form any definite opinion as to the original character of these tumuli.
But much points to their having been raised as burial mounds, perhaps over partially burned
bodies. That they had contained other deposits, too, possibly some of value, appears probable
enough, as otherwise the villagers would scarcely have continued so long the laborious task of
digging up every mound. But any finds of intrinsic value were stoutly denied by those directly
concerned, including the Bëg, no doubt for the reason already indicated, while the gossips of
Gulakhma could tell my men only the usual wild stories about ingots of silver, &c., which were
supposed to have been found there. As to the age of the mounds, all that can be safely
asserted is that the ground near by must at the time of their construction have already borne
the character it has now, there being in particular no indication of fertile soil having been
removed by deflation. The good preservation of the wood and scrub, which seemed to have
been inserted for the sake of giving greater consistency to the mounds, did not suggest very
high antiquity.

Farewell
visit to
Keriya. On March 30 I sent on the main part of my camp under the Surveyor to reach Khotan
by easy stages, while I myself, with the minimum of impedimenta, hurried back to Keriya to
bid farewell personally to its kindly Amban. My rapid marches were made pleasant by noticing
on all sides exuberant signs of spring, which had come over the land with surprising rapidity.
On April 1 I exchanged long visits with Huang-Daloi, and assured him of my due sense of
gratitude for his never-failing help, which alone had rendered the extent and success of the
last months' explorations possible. I also impressed him with my appreciation of the excellent
services which Ibrâhîm, our energetic Darôgha, had rendered, and secured for the latter a public
commendation by the Amban and the promise of appropriate promotion.

Antiques
purchased
at Keriya. I had previously asked my acquaintances among the Bëgs and Mullahs of Keriya to look
out during my absence in the desert for any antiques that might happen to be brought into

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