In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

The excavations began March 24, 1904, with the cleaning out of the Komarov trench and the deepening of its ends, which were somewhat higher than the middle [Figure A.1]. Starting from the bottom of the trench, two “galleries” were driven a short distance into each wall, opening to this extent the heart of the hill. In the eastern half of the northern wall the east galleries, 6 feet wide, were opened and in the western half of the southern wall the west galleries, 8 feet wide. In this way the middle layers of the hill could be examined between +18 and +8 feet (the datum is the level of the plain on the west side of the kurgan) [parenthetical note by Raphael Pumpelly]. At the same time the upper layers on the north half of the hill were attacked by two trenches running nearly parallel to each other. The larger one of these extended from the summit northward down the northern declivity of the hill and was divided into three sections by leaving narrow partitions, portions of the original earth, standing between them (terrace IA, B, terrace II, and terrace III). This division was important, both because it facilitated the excavation in horizontal layers and because the observations could be sharply defined for each terrace. These terraces have a width of to 11 feet and are sunk in the heart of the hill to +22, +18.1, and +15 feet, respectively. The other and much shorter trench was dug with a width of 6 to 7.5 feet on the western declivity of the northern half of the hill (west digging) and opened the middle layers from +25 and +20 to +8.6 feet. In this way a certain relation was established through the west digging between the terraces and the galleries. The separate observations made at each locality would tend to supplement and corroborate each other. For the purpose of studying the deeper layers, two pits were dug in the bottom of the Komarov trench, immediately adjoining the galleries, these pits having a width of 6 feet and a length of 15 and 16 feet, respectively (trench, eastern and western pits). Work was stopped on them, however, as soon as it was discovered Appendix A 1904 Excavations at Anau North Hubert Schmidt Hubert Schmidt’s report in the 1908 Pumpelly volume has been criticized both in the Western literature and in the Russian literature for using absolute depths, as opposed to stratigraphic level, for fixing the period of the archaeological materials at Anau. However, what has been overlooked by this criticism is that the excavations were made in relatively restricted areas. In the context of these limited excavation areas, the absolute depth measurements allow us to relocate the artifacts and ceramic complexes within a stratigraphy based on architectural levels. Thus, with information on each excavation unit and its depth, we are able to correlate this material with the later stratigraphic studies presented in this volume. Added to the descriptions of the individual excavation areas are tables that provide correlations of the excavated contexts from 1904 with the stratigraphy of 1997, and correlations of the ceramics from the earlier excavations and the new excavations. Additionally, in the archival papers located in New Hampshire, new photos were identified which provide a vivid record of the text as described by Schmidt and are included here. In providing the original text of Schmidt, we gain access to the level of detail that was achieved in the published 1908 report, and the logic of the excavations strategy. that they were being sunk in the debris which General Komarov had dumped into his trench; and instead, two shafts were sunk in the “galleries.” In both these shafts the culture-strata were opened to a depth of 21 .5 feet [Figure A.2]. The finds which were made in the above-mentioned localities gained in importance through the simultaneous discovery of burials. On March 26, several skeletons were exposed in terrace IA, to the south of a wall of unburnt bricks. They were, however, destroyed by the picks of the workmen. During the following days more skeletons came to light in all three of the terraces. Their significance in connection with the finds that were being made became clear after the discovery that a skeleton grave found on March 30 in terrace I was that of a child buried in contracted position (Liegender Hocker), and that a skeleton unearthed on March 31 in terrace III...

Share