TNT History Mini-Series: A German Archeologist's Adventures in East Turkistan (1913-14)/Part IV

//Ed. note: The map below shows the area where Von Le 
Coq worked after reaching Hoca (Kucha) from Kashgar
in August 1913.  He began work at Kizil, to the west of
Hoca, moved on to Simsim and Subaşi on the right side
of the map,  and in this episode we find him at Kumtura,
just west of Hoca, in November of the same year.//

Along the road from Koca (Hoca/Kucha) to Kırış, next to the sacred
place called "Ming Ten Atam" (One Thousand Teng Fathers), there
were a number of rubble hillocks comprised of old temple debris and a
large stupa.  During our first visit here we could not obtain permission
to excavate but a few years before that a Japanese named Poshikava
had done some research here.

//Ed. note: There were two Japanese expeditions to the
region sponsored by Count Otoni: the first in 1902-04, 
prior to the second German expedition which Von Le Coq 
participated in, and the second in 1908-09.//


The 'Thousand Buddha Cave' along the Kucha-Kırış road.

I made some donations to a Moslem lodge, rented a room in it and
obtained permission to excavate.  As the result of our research, we
found a large bronze piece and a religious statue, leading us to believe
that his sacred place had once been a Buddhist temple.  We dug with
great care.  The stupa was in a courtyard surrounded by four walls.
The floor of the courtyard was covered with polished marble plaster.
As one proceeds along the road, which is enclosed in walls, the large
and high gate to the stupa is reached.  Here we found some important
archeological works, including a Chinese 'sutra' from the Tang period,
a few scrolls, coins from the same Tang period, very beautiful designs
created from wet clay, along with a well-proportioned statue.  About a
kilometer away from the city we encountered just a very few remnants
belonging to the 'Hoca Kutsche' of the Hiug Çang - in other words, an
old wall.

"Kumtura: a Buddha statue among the ruins at the
temple along the Muzart River."


I next planned to visit Kumtura, which is the oldest temple in the
Koca (Hoca/Kucha) area, where I had been warmly welcomed in 1906.
Again this time the local imam invited me to stay in his house.  But
first, I waited for the river water to recede somewhat so that I could
reach the 'Mingöi' (not further identified) on a hill above the village.
In any event, in November I went to Kumtura and became a guest in
the imam's house.

A few days later, the Chinese governor of Hoca arrived and also
became a guest in the imam's home.  Then, all of a sudden, we were
amazed to see that the warm hospitality and pleasantness we had first
experienced had abruptly changed.  We encountered difficulties in
obtaining grain and pack animals.  At the time, I had six laborers
digging in a small area at a tower in the vicinity of a temple.  The
next day, though, all of them fled.

                      "Kumtura: temple ruins at Hazar."


Because the homeowner's attitude toward us deteriorated as the days
went by, we quickly settled into a structure among the temple buildings.

I sent a fellow to Kırış to round up twenty villagers who would come
and work with us.  At the same time, I sent some gifts to the tax
collection agent in a nearby village and, in this way, succeeded in
obtaining grain, vehicles and other items.  The villagers from Kırış
came right away via a mountain road that by-passed Koca (Hoca/
Kucha).  As a result, we were able to work productively for a while.

//END of PART FOUR//