国立情報学研究所 - ディジタル・シルクロード・プロジェクト
『東洋文庫所蔵』貴重書デジタルアーカイブ

the local chief, a strong and energetic man, capable of asserting authority among
an unruly community, and intelligent enough to give proof of his loyal disposi-
tion. So the two days spent under his protection in a camp immediately outside
his fortified mansion passed undisturbed, while negotiations were proceeding
between him and Zāl Mirzā Khān, the head of the large Tarakuma clan,
concerning our passage to Ishkanān.

The first day of our halt was spent in examining some old remains reported
in the close vicinity of Warāwī. The first to be visited was the ruined fort known
as Demaghah-i-gōra, situated on the shoulder of a precipitous limestone spur
which descends from the Kōh-i-Zālimī range about 1½ miles to the north-west of
Warāwī. On ascending to it over the steep rock slope I came upon a succession
of small structures, five in all, manifestly sepulchral, but quite distinct from any
I had come across elsewhere. They are all of quadrangular shape, built with
walls of roughly hewn limestone slabs still standing to heights of 4 to 5 feet
(Fig. 78). Each is divided by a thin middle wall into two narrow recesses,
with covering slabs separating these again into two stories. It was clear that
these recesses or niches could have been intended only for burials. The lowest
of these tomb structures was badly decayed, and the others showed signs of
having been opened at one time and plundered. No bones or funerary deposits
could be traced without excavation, and for this no labour was available at the
time. Two of the less damaged structures measured about 9 feet 8 inches
square, another 16 feet by 9 feet 3 inches, and the highest 15 feet by 9 feet 10
inches. These two larger ones appeared to have held four niches or cubicles in
each of the two stories. All the structures are orientated from north-west to
south-east and have openings on the south-east. The large slabs used for the
outside walls measured up to 4 feet in length and were set in mud plaster. From
the size of the niches it is clear that they were intended to hold complete bodies,
not fractional burials, as in all the dambs met with since Makrān. As to the date
of these sepulchral structures I could form no opinion.

The ruined fort, which tradition, as the word gōra (i.e. gabrhā) in the name
shows, ascribes to pre-Muhammadan times, is situated at an elevation of about
200 feet above the foot of the narrow rocky spur where this forms a small
terrace flanked by precipitous cliffs. The walls, all built with rough blocks of
locally quarried limestone, form an irregular quadrangle and are very badly
decayed. The longest face, which runs north-east and south-west, measures
about 180 feet and appears to have been protected by a bastion near the southern
corner. A somewhat larger bastion at the northern extremity of the circumvalla-
tion guards approach from the very narrow neck of the spur. The scanty pot-
sherds comprised coarse red and dark-brown ware, all plain, with a few green