KARA DONG

Stein visited Kara-dong during his first expedition after doubling back from Endere to Khotan and being advised of some ruins in the desert north of town. He visited the site again during his second expedition after his dangerous trek south from the Tarim river straight across the desert to find the location where the Keriya River disappeared into the sand. He described the first visit to Kara-dong in Ancient Khotan, Sand Buried Ruins of Khotan, and the second visit more briefly in Serindia and Ruins of Desert Cathay. Here are extracts from the first two books.

Ancient Khotan - Chapter XIII - Kara-dong and the Search for Hsuan-tsang's P'i-mo

Section I - Expedition to the Kara-dong Ruins

Stein completed work at Endere on 26 February. With the spring sand storms rapidly approaching Stein started back westward to explore more ruins around Keriya and Khotan. He returned to Niya by 2 March, thus completing a loop over 300 miles long. On 3 and 4 March he rapidly moved to Keriya, 80 miles. Two days there sufficed for Stein to obtain additional labor, camels and supplies thanks to the gracious assistance of the Amban, Huang-Daloi. Stein's next objective was the ruin at Kara-dong, about 150 miles north of Keriya in desolate desert. This required a 6-day trip down the Keriya River. At the Mazar of Burhanuddin-Padshahim Stein hired more local laborers. But finding the ruin turned out to be difficult due to the hazy memory if the local guides. The ruin consisted of a quadrangle within a mud rampart about 30 feet thick around an enclosure 126 feet square. Much of it was covered by deep sand. There was much pottery, metal objects and shreds of fabrics lying about in the open. Stein did recover two bronze arrow-heads five Chinese copper coins and a few other items. He found the 21 foot square gateway on the eastern side was well preserved owing to protective walls and sand. Stein as always meticulously recorded the measurements of each room and building and the meager quantity of artifacts. Kara-dong was a much more primitive site than Endere or Niya and was located in a more desolate area with less water available. Stein guessed it was designed as a way station for travelers along the Keriya river route. In the Middle Ages the Keriya river reached as far north across the desert as the Tarim River. This route is the most direct and shortest between Keriya and Khotan and the north around Kucha.
(We learn later that Stein in fact during his second exploration tested this idea, but not by marching north along the river in relative safety but rather south from Kucha across the empty space between the Tarim and the lost end of the Keriya in the desert).
Stein remarks that the medieval history of the area shows that the governments of Khotan and Kucha had a common border in the desert and close contacts. Stein found no datable items from which to establish exactly the period during which Khara-dong was occupied.

Section II - Hsuan-tsang's Notice of P'i-mo and Marco Polo's Pein

Stein finished his work at Kara-dong on 17 March and departed on the 18^th . Sand storms were already significant. He was set on finding another ancient place - P'i-mo because it was mentioned by Hsuan-tsang and was likely the place Marco Polo named Pein. Therefore he moved South-westward from Kara-dong into the desert. Once again local guides supplied by authorities were too afraid to admit their actual ignorance, so led Stein into the desert from the Keriya River starting on 23 March. Eventually they found some pottery debris in the desert near Arish-Mazar. Stein digresses to recount the legend told to Hsuan-tsang.

Sand Buried Ruins of Khotan - Chapter XXVIII - Expedition to Karadong Ruin

Stein left Endere on 26 February, returning to Niya. He managed to get the camels back across the now unfrozen Endere River and then filled the water tanks. On the 27th he continued south though the Kumush and jungle. Plane table survey was enhanced during the mornings by sighting to familiar peaks in the Kun-lun 60 - 80 miles to the south. By afternoon they disappeared in the dust haze. Ever kindly, Stein offered chocolate to the shepherd guide's children but they were to afraid to try it. The party reached the Keriya- Cherchen road and turned west to use this 'highway' caravan track. After one camp in the barren flat they reached the Yartungaz River the next day. Enroute Stein was met by Tila Bai bringing more mail and supplies from Khotan. It required two more long days of riding during which they crossed the Shitala Darya at the Mazar of Shitala Padshahim to reach Niya. Stein calculated that from departing Niya on 23 January he had covered 300 miles in a loop and was delighted to find the survey closure had an error of only 3/4 mile in longitude and 1 mile in latitude. (Remarkable indeed). Stein rushed on ahead to Keriya in two days, letting the slow camel caravan catch up as it could. He left all the heavy winter clothing and gear at Keriya prior to the next stage. And he hired a fresh team of laborers. He had a visit to the Amban, Huang-Daloi, followed immediately by the required return visit. Stein showed samples of his findings and gave the Amban choice presents from Khotan. In return he was given a large quantity of supplies and food.

On 7 March Stein was again in the saddle, headed north down the Keriya River to Karadong, some 150 miles away. He benefited from having Sven Hedin's report from a visit in 1896. In three days he reached to point where he had found the river while coming from Dandan-Uiliq. By then the ice sheet had been replaced with muddy water. - the spring flood (Kara-su - black water). The summer flood (Ak-su- white water) would come later with the runoff from the mountain glaciers. Stein was welcomed back at the Burhanuddin Mazar. The lead Sheikh, Ghazi, enabled Stein to add local shepherds to his work force. He describes his band as a 'avalanche' as it gained manpower strength as it progressed. Three more days of travel along the river followed. On 12 March they crossed the high Yogham-kum Dawan (crest) of sand. The next camp was by a lagoon populated by wild ducks. At that point they had to leave the river and enter full desert again, but now in a blinding dust storm. Two local shepherds were recruited as guides. It took some doing for even the local guides to find the objective amid the concealing high dunes in a dust storm. Karadong turned out to be a small site, mostly a quadrangle with mud rampart 235 feet square and timber rooms on top. On the whole the expedition there was a bust. After two days of hard work not much was found. Even the timber used for the buildings was poor. Stein decided that the place was not an agricultural community but rather a small frontier fort constructed when the Keriya River still reached across the desert to Kucha. At that time the direct trade route might have required this sort of guard post. Stein did find a few copper coins from Later Han dynasty to confirm the dating. The best preserved structure he found was the old gateway, about 22 feet square with an intact roof and massive wood doors. all buried deep in sand. It took two days to clear this one structure. Of some interest was the find of a quantity of various cereal grains in the storeroom there. Stein completed work on the evening of 17 March and departed on the 18th in the midst of another Buran. On the way back Stein and the two Indian Hindus learned of the death of their Queen-Empress with much sadness. .

Map sheet 30 in the Serindia series has title of Kara dong it covers this region. This sheet is on edge of desert - Shows the Keriya river flowing north from its south edge on the east side of map. The entire west side is blank - the river route is very narrow and Stein only surveyed directly as he traveled south - up the river. He actually had a difficult time finding the shifting delta of the Keriya river as it was west of the route south he initially took The ruins of Kara Dong are at 81 degrees 55 ' E and 38 degrees 31' N - Stein was traveling rapidly across the desert from Shahyar and had no water to spare but when he reached the river he immediately moved to Kara Dong..

A view of the western side of the map of Chinese Turkestan and Kansu - The red lines showing Stein's routes are more clear - on the far left we see his route north through NW India and through the Wakhan Valley and Sarikol to Kashgar. To the north west is his route into the mountains and back. Then his route south-east to Yokand and thhen south-east to Khotan. We will look at more detailed maps to see the locations he visited around Khotan and his attempt to go directly south. Due north of Khotan is Stein's route from there to Ansi and the fort at Mazar-tagh is seen on the Khotan River. Directly opposite on the Keriya River is Kara dong.

A detailed section from Stein's map showing the area between Karghalik, Khotan and Keriya. The excavation sites at Niya, Endere, Rawak, Kara-dong, and Mazar-tagh are shown.

Detail from Stein's maps showing the two routes across the Takla Makan - via the Khotan and Keriya rivers. The sites at Endere, Nkiya, Kara-dong, Mazar-tagh, Rawak stupa are shown.

Serindia 304 - Ruined dwelling Ka, I, Kara-dong site, seen from west during excavation - The original floor was frequently many feet down under sand drifts

Serindia 302 - Ruined quadrangle of Kara-dong site, seen from near south-west corner

Serindia 303 - Ruined dwelling Ka I, Kara-dong site, seen from north-east before excavation - This gives good idea of how Stein found these ruined villages in the desert - there were usually the remains of house wall posts above the sand.

Serindia 305 - Ruined dwelling Ka, III, buried in tamarisk-cone, Kara-dong site - The Tamarisk when still alive would send roots deep to the water table and then continue to grow up as drifting sand accumulated around it trunk - the process could continue for a century or more as both the Tamarisk and sand grew higher until the water table might disappear and the tree then die.

Serindia 307 - Ancient jars, wooden lock, and screen excavated from ruined dwelling Ka I, Kara-dong site

Ancient Khotan 52 - Interior of ruined quadrangle, Kara-dong, seen from north-east after partial excavation

Ancient Khotan 53 - Wooden gateway of ruined quadrangle, Kara-dong, seen from east after excavation

Sand Buried Ruin of Khotan 114 - Wooden gateway of ruined quadrangle, Karadong, after excavation.

Sand Buried Ruin of Khotan 113 - Interior of ruined quadrangle, Karadong - This site was north of Khotan. Stein visited after completing work at Endere. For Karadong see in the north-east corner

Ruins of Desert Cathay 289 - Ancient quadrangle partially buried under dunes, Kara-dong site - On left Tila Bai standing amidst timber remains of south-west corner. Having successfully reached the Keriya river, Stein continued south for a short distance and then moved 90 degrees left to go directly to Kara-dong, another place his local informers had noticed during their searches for 'treasure'.

Ruins of Desert Cathay 290 - Ancient dwelling near south end of Kara-dong site before excavation. Stein went there after crossing the desert and moving south (up) the Keriya River.

Ruins of Desert Cathay 291 - The same ancient dwelling of Kara-dong site in course of excavation. Frequently the work was made more difficult by the wind blowing the sand right back into the excavations.