Ruins of Desert Cathay: Personal Narrative of Explorations in Central Asia and Westernmost China

by M. Aurel Stein

Overview

In this two-volume work, published in 1912, the Hungarian-born archaeologist Marc Aurel Stein (1862–1943) describes his second expedition to the deserts of Chinese Turkestan in 1906–8. (His account of his first expedition, Sand-Buried Ruins of Khotan (1903), is also reissued in this series.) Stein intended this account to be read by non-specialists, and, like his previous book, it is highly illustrated and full of interesting details about his journey and the people he met en route, as well as of the important archaeological discoveries which still link his name with the civilisation of this remote and dangerous area. In Volume 1, Stein describes the problems of setting up the expedition and the excitement and perils of the route, which took him through the tribal areas of the North-West Frontier and the kingdom of Afghanistan, ending with his arrival at the western extremity of the Great Wall of China.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781108077521
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	10/02/2014
Series:	Cambridge Library Collection - Archaeology
Edition description:	Reissue
Pages:	796
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 1.77(d)

Table of Contents

Preface; 1. Between Hydaspes and Indus; 2. Through Swat and Dir; 3. Across the Lowarai; 4. In Chitral; 5. Through Mastuj; 6. On the Darkot Pass; 7. In Afghan Wakhan; 8. To the source of the Oxus; 9. From Sarikol to Kashgar; 10. At Chini-Bagh, Kashgar; 11. To Yarkand and Karghalik; 12. Stay at Kök-yar; 13. Along the foot of the Kun-lun; 14. My return to Khotan; 15. To the Nissa glaciers; 16. On the Otrughul glacier; 17. In the Karanghu-tagh mountains; 18. A feast at Khotan; 19. By the desert edge of Khotan; 20. The shrines of Khadalik; 21. Sites around Domoko; 22. To Keriya and the Niya river; 23. At the Niya site ruins; 24. Records from a hidden archive; 25. Last days at a dead oasis; 26. To the Endere river; 27. From the Endere ruins to Charchan; 28. Along the Charchan river; 29. At Vash-shahri and Charklik; 30. Start for the Lop desert; 31. Across an eroded dry Δ; 32. First excavations at the Lop-nor site; 33. Survey of the ancient station; 34. Records from an ancient rubbish heap; 35. Discovery of art remains; 36. Across the desert to the Tarim; 37. By the Tarim and Charchan Darya; 38. The ruined fort of Miran; 39. Finds of Tibetan records; 40. Ancient temples of Miran; 41. A dado of angels; 42. The frescoes of Miran; 43. A cycle of festive figures; 44. Mural painting of Buddhist legend; 45. The start for Tun-huang; 46. On old travellers' tracks; 47. The last of the dry Lop-nor; 48. A strange old lake bed; 49. First glimpse of an ancient frontier.