Sand Buried Ruins of Khotan: Personal Narrative of a Journey of Archaeological & Geographical Exploration in Chinese Turkestan (1904) Book PDF, ePub eBook

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Book Descriptions:
Sir Aurel Stein (1862 – 1943) was a Hungarian-British archaeologist, primarily known for his explorations and archaeological discoveries in Central Asia. He was also a professor at Indian universities.

Stein was also an ethnographer, geographer, linguist and surveyor. His collection of books and manuscripts taken from Dunhuang caves is important for the study of the history of Central Asia and the art and literature of Buddhism. He wrote several volumes on his expeditions and discoveries which include Ancient Khotan, Serindia and Innermost Asia.

Stein's 'Sand-buried Ruins of Khotan,' is a personal narrative of his "Indiana Jones-like" journey of archaeological and geographical exploration in Chinese Turkestan during 1900 and 1901, which resulted in many most important antiquarian discoveries. Dr. Stein has some interesting pages on the Tibetan invasion and occupation of Eastern Turkestan in the eighth century A.D.

The idea of archaeological work about Khotan first suggested itself to M. Stein in the spring of 1897, in consequence of some remarkable antiquarian acquisitions from that region and by the discovery among the papers left by the distinguished French traveller, M. Dutreuil de Rhins of fragments of ancient birch-bark leaves, which had been acquired in the vicinity of Khotan. These proved to be a Buddhist text in an early Indian script and language, and were soon recognised as the oldest Indian manuscript then known, going back by the first centuries of our era.

Later on fragments of paper manuscripts, ancient pottery and similar relics came into the hands of Russians and English agents in Central Asia and found their way into various museums. While these materials accumulated, no reliable information was ever forthcoming as to the exact origin of the finds.

Stein writes:
"The ruined sites explored by me have more than justified the hope which led me to Khotan and into its desert. Scattered over an area which in a straight line extents for more than three hundred miles from west and east, and dating back to very different periods these ruins throughout reveal to us a uniform and well-defined civilisation. It is easy to recognise now that this bygone culture rested mainly on Indian foundations. But there has also come to light unmistakable evidence of other powerful influences, both from the West and from China, which helped to shape its growth and to invest it with an individual character and fascination of its own.

"The origin and history of the culture that once flourished in Buddhist Khotan, are faithfully reflected in the remarkable series of sculptures and paintings which the ancient shrines and dwelling places, after long centuries of burial beneath the dunes, have yielded up."

Contents:
I. Calcutta to Kashmir
II. To Astor and Gilgit
III. Through Hunza
IV. On the Taghdumbash Pamir
V. In Sarikol
VI. On Muztagh-Ata
VII. Through the Gez Defile to Kashgar
VIII. Stay at Kashgar
IX. Khanui and Ordam-Padshah
X. Yarkand and Karghalik
XI. On the Road to Khotan
XII. Arrival in Khotan
XIII. To the Headwaters of the Yurung-Kash
XIV. Over the Kara-Kash Ranges
XV. Antiquarian Preparations at Khotan
XVI. Yotkan, the Site of the Ancient Capital
XVII. To the Ruins of Dandan-Uiliq
XVIII. Excavation of Buddhist Shrines
XIX. First Finds of Ancient Manuscripts
XX. Discovery of Dated Documents
XXI. Through the Desert to Keriya
XXII. To Niya and Imam Jafar Sadik
XXIII. First Excavation of Kharoshthi Tablets
XXIV. Excavation of Ancient Residences
XXV. Discoveries in an Antique Rubbish Heap
XXVI. Decipherment of Ancient Documents on Wood and Leather
XXVII. The Ruins of Endere
XXVIII. Expedition to Karadong Ruin
XXIX. The Search for Hiuen-Tsiang’s Pi-Mo
XXX. Ak-Sipil and the Sculptures of the Rawak Stupa
XXXI. Islam Akhun and His Forgeries
XXXII. Last Days in Khotan Oasis
XXXIII. From Khotan to London

Kindle reformatted version of 1904 publication; may contain occasional imperfe

Sand Buried Ruins of Khotan: Personal Narrative of a Journey of Archaeological & Geographical Exploration in Chinese Turkestan (1904) by Sir Aurel Stein

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