Sand-Buried Ruins of Khotan
Personal Narrative of a Journey of Archaeological & Geographical Exploration in Chinese Turkestan

Illustrated with numerous photographs, this 1903 account of a journey through Chinese Turkestan records significant archaeological discoveries.

M. Aurel Stein (Author)

9781108069731, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 13 February 2014

576 pages, 135 b/w illus.
21.7 x 14 x 3 cm, 0.65 kg

Between 1900 and 1901, the Hungarian-born archaeologist Marc Aurel Stein (1862–1943) made the first of several significant trips through Central Asia. In 1903, he published this account of his journey from Calcutta to London via the deserts of Chinese Turkestan. The text is richly illustrated with photographs of locations on the route followed by Stein's party, as well as of the people they encountered and many of the artefacts they excavated in the vicinity of the ancient oasis town of Khotan. Stein intended his book to be accessible to non-specialists, and his descriptions of the many important archaeological discoveries, such as Sanskrit texts of Buddhist scriptures, are interspersed with compelling human details and anecdotes about traversing the challenging terrain of eastern Central Asia. The work of an indefatigable explorer, this book sheds light on the spread of Graeco-Buddhist culture along the Silk Route.

Introduction
1. Calcutta to Kashmir
2. To Astor and Gilgit
3. Hunza
4. On the Taghdumbash Pamir
5. In Sarikol
6. On Muztagh-Ata
7. Through the Gez defile to Kashgar
8. Stay at Kashgar
9. Hanui and Ordam-Padshah
10. Yarkand and Karghalik
11. On the road to Khotan
12. Arrival in Khotan
13. To headwaters of the Yurung-Kash
14. Over the Kara-Kash ranges
15. Antiquarian preparations at Khotan
16. Yotkan, the site of the ancient capital
17. To the ruins of Dandan-Uiliq
18. Excavations of Buddhist shrines
19. First finds of ancient manuscripts
20. Discovery of dated documents
21. Through the desert to Keriya
22. To Niya and Imam Jafar Sadik
23. First excavation of Kharoshthi tablets
24. Excavation of ancient residences
25. Disciveries in an antique rubbish pit
26. Decipherment of ancient documents on wood and leather
27. The ruins of Endere
28. Expedition to Karadong ruins
29. The search for Hiuen-Tsiang's Pi-mo
30. Ak-Sipil and the sculptures of the Rawak stupa
31. Islam Akhun and his forgeries
32. Last days in Khotan oasis
33. From Khotan to London
Index.

Subject Areas: Archaeology by period / region [HDD]