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

deeply furrow its sides. Yet nowhere could remains of walls be traced on the
surface, either there or on the debris area adjoining the base of the mound. The
marked effect of erosion as shown by those ravines makes it all the more significant
that, in spite of close search, not a single fragment of prehistoric painted ware
could be found at the site, and only a single stone flake which looks as if worked
for use. A terminus ad quem for the occupation of this large site is indicated by
fragments of glazed pottery with incised ornamentation closely corresponding to
that found at Qalāt-i-Jamshīd and Tīz. This and the presence of a great deal of
relief-decorated and stamped grey ware corresponding to that of Shahr-i-Dāqianūs
in type (for specimens see Khar. 18, 19, 51, 70; Pl. XXII; Kar. 18, Khar. 56 are
moulds for such ware) proves the site to have been inhabited down to the twelfth–
thirteenth century. The same observation applies also to glazed ware with bold
patterns in white slip over dark brown (Kar. 37; Pl. XXII) or with decoration
in brown lines over pale straw-coloured slip and almost colourless glaze (Khar.
61, 62; Pl. XXII). Glazed relief ware in peacock green (like Kar. 20; Pl. XXII)
is also represented as at Dāqianūs-shahr, the site which, as we shall see below,
was destroyed during the Mongol invasions. But that the occupation of
Kharg must have started much earlier is shown not only by the height of the
mound but also the great predominance of plain glazed pottery in a striking
variety of colours over the glazed ware with incised ornamentation.
In the absence of any guidance by structural remains traceable on the surface,
and in view of the great extent of the main mound, I thought it best to confine the
brief trial excavation practicable to a low swelling of the ground to the south-
east of the mound where glazed pottery lay particularly thick. The trench cut
at A brought to light, at a depth of 3 feet, part of a burnt clay pipe, 5 inches
in diameter, which belonged to a drain traceable for 12 feet, constructed with
burnt bricks of varying sizes, the largest of which measured 12 × 12 × 1 inches.
The drain appeared to have been made with materials from some other building.
Farther on the trench cleared a pavement of large burnt bricks, measuring
12 × 12 × 3 inches. Miscellaneous fragments of glazed ware were the only finds
made here besides a bronze spoon, Khar. 81. In a second trench, B, cut about
40 yards to the south-east of the first, there was found a large pot, broken but
almost complete, glazed both inside and outside with a fine silvery blue. Two
mis-shapen cups found here suggested the vicinity of a kiln. The fragments of
glazed ware found at different depths showed varied colours: green, ochre,
white, and mottled brown. Some pieces of glass vessels, white or green in
colour, were also recovered.
It is evident that the Tump-i-Kharg marks the position of a town which was
inhabited down to medieval times and probably was already a place of impor-