SIR AUREL STEIN KCIE
EXPLORATIONS

Sir Aurel Stein (1862 - 1943) was a Hungarian who became a British citizen while spending his adult life in India working for the British Indian Government. He conducted many archeological- geographic- topographic-historical expeditions in India, Iran, Jordan, and Iraq. He traced Alexander the Great's campaign across northern India (Pakistan today) and found Arnos. He traced Alexander's campaign down the Indus and across the Gedrosia desert into Iran. But it was his three memorable expeditions between 1900 and 1916 into Chinese Turkestan crisscrossing the Taklamakan desert and unearthing the remains of civilizations unseen for over a thousand years that earned him world renown. Here we are particularly interested in his discoveries of medieval fortifications in Turkestan, although he also was very interested in finding and publishing his results about fortifications in the other countries mentioned above. Now one can use Google Earth to view many of these places. And a Google Search on Aurel Stein, Silk Road, Serindia, Innermost Asia, and related key words will bring up extensive original documents thanks to the Silk Road Foundation.
The first and second expeditions were described by Aurel Stein in a pair of works - a 'personal report' and an 'official report'. Naturally the personal and official reports overlap, but the different content and style in each make it very worthwhile to read both. For the third there is the official report. And then Stein wrote a summary narrative in which he melded events from the three expeditions.

The First Expedition - May 1900 - July 1901
The The First Expedition
Ancient Khotan The official report of the First Expedition
Sand-Buried Ruins of Khotan: Personal Narrative of a Journey
Stein had to lobby his superiors in the Indian Government for permission and funding to undertake this exploration outside his official duties. The results were so spectacular that he was able to continue and conduct the subsequent, more extensive explorations.
Stein departed Kashmir on 31 May 1900. For this first trip he took the most direct route north via Hunza and Gilgit.
On 1 June he crossed the 11,000 foot high Tragbal Pass in deep snow.
On 8 June he moved toward the Indus River, which makes a huge bend through these mountains.
On 15-19 June he reached Hunza
On 24 June he crossed the Batur glacier.
On 28-29 June he crossed the Kilik Pass at 15,800 feet.
On 7 July he reached Tashkurgan, capital of the Sarikol area
On 10 July departed Tashkurgan
He took a detour to try to climb the Muztagh-Ata at 24,321, but had to stop at 20,000.
29 July - he reached Kashgar the seat of the British Representative of the Government of India
He remained in Kashgar all of August.
On 4 September he went on a short ride to see Khan-ui ruin area and Mauri-tam Stupa
On 11 September he started for Khotan via a desert route through Kizil.
On 17 September he reached Yarkand.
On 28 September Stein reached Karghalik.
On 2 October he departed Karghalik, beginning the actual archeological expedition
On 4 October he stopped at Guma oasis.
On 6 October he was enroute to Maji
On 7 October he reached Maji
On 10 October he was at Pi'alma
On 13 October he reached Khotan.
On 15 October he systematically explored Yotkan
From 17 October to 11 November he tried to find the headwaters of the Yurungkash branch of the Khotan river in the K'un lun mountains to the south but was blocked by gorges.
On 25-29 November he again explored Yotkan - the ancient capital adjacent to Khotan
On 7 December Stein started out for Dandan-Uiliq via Tawakkel, following the Khotan River into the desert.
On 11 December he was at At-bashi
On 12 December he went into the desert to Dandan
On 18 December he reached Dandan in below zero weather.
On 3 January 1901 he moved to a local ruin called Rawak.
On 6 January he dismissed most Tawakkel laborers and left Dandan to Keriya river
On 13 January he reached Keriya town in order to hire more laborers and get supplies.
On 18 January he set out for Niya and arrived on 22 January
On 23 January he moved to Iman Ji'far Sadiq shrine and hired more workers.
On 28 January he began excavations at Niya ruin.
On 3 February he found more ruins
On 11 February he concluded work with clearing House Nix
On 12 February he found yet more ruins
By 13 February he completed work at Niya and returned to the shrine of Iman Jafar Sadik.
On 15 February he again started east through desert to look for Endere
On 17 February he followed the Yartunguz River through desert
On 21 February he found the large stupa at Endere - he found important artifacts at Endere.
On 26 February he started the return to Niya
On 28 February he completed a 300 mile circle at Yartunguz - Stein going one way and Ram Singh the other way, with a remarkable plane table survey closure error of 3/4 mile in longitude and 1 mile in latitude
On 3-4 March he moved back from Niya to Keriya - 80 miles in 2 days
On 5 March he started the 6-day move down the Keriya River toward Karadong
On 12 March he was at Tonguz-baste
On 17 March he completed excavation at Karadong
On 18 March he was searching for P'i-mo
From 18 March to 19 April the spring sand storms hit with great force.
On 25 March he was still searching in the desert for P'i-mo and found fort at Ulugh-Ziarat
On 28 March he turned south to Gulakhoma oasis
On 30 March he was back at Keriya
On 2 April he left for Khotan
On 5 April he was at Lop Bazar
On 6 April he was at Yurun-kash
On 8-9 April he surveyed Ak-sipil
On 10 April he left Ak-sipil to find another place named Rawak
On 11 April he started excavation at this Rawak that had an imposing (well preserved) stupa and much more including Han Dynasty coins
On 18 April he completed work at Rawak and returned to Khotan on 19 April.

The Second Expedition 20 April 1906 - 13 November 1908
Serindia - the scholarly official report on the Second Expedition -
Ruins of Desert Cathay - the personal narrative of the Second Expedition
On the second and much longer expedition Stein began with a detour over a new route westward from the first one in order to study indigenous people in northern India.
On 20 April 1906 - Stein departed Kashmir.
On 28 April - He departed Peshawar enroute Swat valley
Stein visited Swat and Dir
On 4 May - He passed through Chitral via Lowarai Pass
On 11 May - He examined Buddhist rock carvings then marched to Mostuj
On 16 May - He on foot made the Darkot Glacier pass, just visiting on the 17th before crossing the Baroghil.
On 19 May - He reached the Wakhan corridor via Baroghil saddle
On 20 May - He stayed at Sarhad, Afghanistan
On 22-23 May - He rode toward the Wakhjur Pass crossing it on 27 May
On 28 May - He stayed with Kirgiz at Tigharmansu in the Taghdumabash Pamir
On 4 June - Stein continued from Kara-kapa through the gorge to the Chichiklik plateau.
On 6 June - He crossed the Kashka-su Dawan ridge line, near 13,000 feet.
On 8 June - He reached Kashgar - the headquarters for all three expeditions because it was the seat of the British representative of the Government of India.
On 21 June - Stein visited yet another ancient ruin at Och-merwan, another stupa and two small forts
On 23 June - Stein departed Kashgar for Yarkand and on to Khotan
On 26 June - He reached Yarkand
On 2 July - He departed toward Karghalik
On 7 July - He departed Karghalik going south to Kok-yar where he spent days editing and writing letters.
On 25 July Stein departed Kok-yar to Khotan
On 5 August - He reached Khotan.
He spent last part of August and early September searching for the sources of the Khotan rivers far to the south.
On 19 August - Stein moved his camp to the foot of the Otrughul Glacier, as far into the mountain gorges as he could go.
On 22 August - He moved eastward toward Karanghu-tagh.
On 5 September - Stein started back toward Khotan
On 8 September -Stein was greeted as he entered Khotan with a 'Dastarkhan'
On 14 September - He was back at Rawak for more excavations until 20 September.
On 24 September - Stein surveyed and excavated at Khadalik until 1 October
On 3 October - Stein explored Domoko
On 6 October - He left Domoko going eastward toward Keriya
On 13 October - He left Keriya
On 20 October - He began extensive excavations at Niya
On 22 October - He continued clearing at Nxx at Niya
On 24 October - He shifted to Nxxiv where he found extensive documents
On 30 October - He completed work at Niya and moved back to Ja'far - sadiq
On 1 November - He departed Niya for Endere and Charchan.
On 8 November - Stein continued south east to reach the Endere stupa he had excavated in 1901.
On 15 November - Stein set out eastward to Charchan, a 106 mile, 6 day journey.
On 21-23 November - He stopped at Charchan.
On 29 November - 1 December - Stein explored Vash-shahri
On 3 - 6 December - Stein stopped at Charklik to recruit labor and hire camels
On 8 December - He stopped briefly at Miran where he conducted preliminary excavations.
On 11 December - Stein departed Miran, headed to Lou-lan
On 14 - 16 December - He was crossing Lop Nor.
On 17 December - He was at Lou lan.
On 27 December - He received mail from England and India and then moved back toward Abdal and Miran.
On 5 February 1907 - He was back at Miran and then back to Abdal.
On February 11 - Stein was enroute from Miran to Abdal
On 21 February - He started east along the Lop sea.
On 7 March - He found the first of the watch towers on the Han dynasty wall.
On 9 March - He continued along the wall to the east.
On 10 March - He found Khara-nor - the 'dark lake'
On 11 March - He reached Tun-huang oasis and its northern limes.
On 16 March - Stein went to the 'cave of the 1000 Buddhas' SE of Tung-huang.
On 23 March - He started due north of Tun-hung to go back for more detailed study of the towers.
On 27 March - He moved south east to Towers on the wall line.
On 31 March the temperature was still 39 degrees below freezing as he moved east to a line of towers.
On 3 April - He returned to his base camp.
On 6 April - He reached Nan-Hu oasis.
On 11 April - he moved north from Nan-hu and found recently ruined villages.
On 13 April it was now getting hot as he again excavated towers along the western end of the Han wall.
On 14 April - He reached watch tower Txii (fig. 181) on the limes.
On 13 June - Stein left Tun-huang heading east toward An-hsi.
He remained in An-hsi until 19 June.
On 20 June - He found two more old towers SW of An-hsi.
On 24 June 1907 - Stein departed to the south into the high mountains, the Nan-shan.
On 29 June - Stein was moving into the mountains near Ta-shih village on the road from An-hsi.
On 3 July - Stein left the cave of the Myriad Buddhas to explore the western Nan-shan for 2 months.
On 22 July - Stein reached Su-chou and stayed 6 days.
From 27 August - Stein spent 6 days into September at Kan-chou.
On 25 September - Stein returned to An-hsi and prepared to cross the desert to Hami.
On 2 November - He reached Turfan.
On 13 November - Stein started down the narrow valley (map 59) to the ruin at Chong-hassar.
On 18 November - Stein left Besh-tam going north to Toyuk.
On 1 December - Stein left Turfan for Kara-shahr.
On 8 December - Stein reached Kara-shahr village.
On 11 December - Stein left Kara-shahr via Korla road to Sharchuk, 16 miles to the SW, and visited more Buddhist shrines north of Ming-oi.
On 23 December - Stein finished work at Ming-oi and sent a convoy of antiques to Korla.
On 26 December - He left Khora to reach Shik chin.
On 27 December - He reached the Korla oasis.
On 27-28 December - Stein was at the oasis NE corner of the Tarim Basin where the large river that drains Lake Baghrash flows out and becomes the Kinche-darya.
In January 1908 - Stein went SW from Korla with guides into the desert for two days to reach the Konche-darya.
On 9 January - Stein went to see another reported site and did find a ruin across the Charchak River 2 miles north of Inchike River.
On 17 January - He prepared at Kucha to cross the Takla Makan directly going straight south. This was the most dangerous exploit of his expeditions.
On 25 January - He left Kucha town to reach Shahyar on the 26th.
On 30 January - He crossed the frozen Tarim River and into the desert.
On 12 February - He reached Kara dong.
On 22 February - Stein left Kara dong going south up the river to meet a team coming north from Khotan.
On 25 February - He met Turdu's nephew coming north with men at Kuchkar-aghil.
On 13 March - Stein went south past Domoko to visit a Buddhist shrine at Kara-yantak.
On 19 March - He returned to Domoko and then went NW into the desert to Ulug-Mazar again via Domoko.
On 22 March - He went south to Chira

On 24 March - He went west to the edge of the Khotan district.
On 30 March - He reached Khotan again.
On 5 April - Stein again headed north, back across the desert toward Ak-su on the T'ien-shan.
On 11 April - He moved down the Khotan River to Islamabad, the northern most part of the Khotan district.
On 13 April - He left Islamabad going north.
On 16 April - He sighted the ridge at Mazar Tagh with its impressive ruined fortress which he excavated for a week.
On 28 April - He crossed the Tarim a mile below (east) its confluence with the Yarkand and Aksu Rivers.
On 6 May - He left Ak-su to visit Uch-Turfan and Kelpin in the mountains.
On 8 May - He moved from the west bank of Tushkan -darya.
On 11 May - Stein left Uch and found another watch tower at Kong tai. He then explored the Kelpin oasis region.
On 19 May - He moved SW and found more coins from Sung Dynasty.
On 21 May - He reached Marl bashi.
On 9 June - He returned to Khotan to prepare the journey back to India which took 6 weeks of careful packing of artifacts in 93 special containers loaded on camels.
On 3 August - Stein departed on his round about exploration through the K'un lun mountains. He was determined to find the head waters of the major rivers that flowed north.
He spent August and September exploring the high plateaus and mountain ranges of the K'un lun.
On 22 September - Stein went up a glacier northward for 10 hours to reach the crest at 20,000 feet near a peak of 23071 feet. He had great views but the temperature was 16 degrees below freezing. The result of his rash determination was frost bite that cost him several toes.
On 3 October - He crossed the Karakorum Pass at 18,687 feet in a litter.
On 12 October - He reached Leh in India where his foot was operated on and he rested.
On 1 December - He started for India and Dehra Dun and Calcutta.
On 20 January 1909 - He reached London.

The Third Expedition - 13 August 1913 - 16 March 1916
Innermost Asia - the scholarly report on the Third Expedition.
On the third expedition Stein began with an even more westerly detour through previously unexplored regions of north west India ( now Pakistan).
1 August 1913 Stein sent his heavy baggage directly to Hunza.
Meanwhile he started to Chilas by floating down the Indus.
He crossed 5 passes of 10-16,000 feet elevation on the route to Daril and Tangir
1 September he reached Ash Kuma gorge at Chillingi Pass at 17,000 feet.
2 September he crossed into Hunza having crossed 15 passes in 5 weeks.
12 September he reached Tash Kurgan
21 September he reached Kashgar again.
19 October he left for Maral bashi hoping to take a short cut through the desert, but he was defeated by the sand dunes.
1 November he reached Khotan having covered 450 miles in 20 days
8 December he reached Niya again via the Keriya River
23 December he was at Endere
31 December he reached Charchan and then Charklik
1 January 1914 he started from Charklik to Miran
1 February he started north east from Miran to Abdal.
7 February he found forts LL and LM at Lou lan
9 February he went NE from LM to Lou lan LA
11 February he sent his camels to Altmish - bulak for rest and replenishment
19 February he went north west from LA
21-24 February he was at Altmish bulak with temperature 21 degrees below zero
25 February he moved S-SE straight across the Lop-nor salt sea and found Chinese copper coins and arrow heads dropped in the desert by passing caravans
2 March he was crossing directly over the Lop dried salt sea with severe difficulties
7 March he reached Kunduk on the south-east shore of the Lop sea on the caravan route between Charklik and Tun-huang.
10 March he moved east toward Tun-huang
17 March he again reached the Chinese limes NW of Tun-huang
18 March he was at Oghrak-bulak and the ancient magazine at Txviii
21 March he found yet more watch towers
24 March he was at Tun-huang again
2 April he returned to the caves and obtained more documents
8 April he went to An-hsi and crossed the limes again
14-17 April he stayed at An-hsi then followed the limes NE
21 - 24 April he continued along the Su-lo Ho
28 April he reached Hua Hai-tzu
1 May he reached Su-chou
12 May he departed Su-chou north along the Etsin-gol toward Khara Khoto
June he returned from Kara-Khoto past Mao-mei to Su-chou and hired workers to explore the Nan-shan again
16 July while exploring the high Nan-shan he had an accident that damaged one leg
Early August he returned to Kan-chou
20 August he was enroute to Mao-mei
31 August he reached Mao-mei oasis
2 September he left Mao-mei riding north-west toward Barkul and Guchen
September he traveled north west across the Pei-shan hills to Barkul - 400 miles to reach Bai, part of the Hami oasis.
18 October he reached Guchen
29 October the heavy baggage arrived at Kara Khoja from Su-chou
November the survey teams re-assembled at Kara-khoja
Mid-December 1914 he was at Bezeklik
January 1915 he was at Astana excavating ancient cemeteries
February he sent the camel train to Kashgar and returned eastward along the river back toward Lou lan
16 February Stein left Turfan for Kuruk-tagh and Singer and on toward Lou-lan
April he spent in and around Korla
31 May he reached Kashgar again where he spent a month concluding his expedition affairs
6 July Stein left Kashgar to camp in nearby mountains
19 July he sent off last mail bag to India and started for the Ulugh-art Pass into Russia
22 July - August he was in the Russian Pamirs exploring southward to the Wakhan corridor
1 September he reached the Wakhan corridor but could not enter Afghanistan- He had to stay on Russian side and look.
12 September Stein reached Khoruk in Shughnan
25 September he was again in the Oxus valley at confluence with the Bartang in the Roshan area.
27 September Stein left Kala-i-Wamar to cross more mountains toward Kara-tegin
4 October Stein reached Pashmghar
6 October heavy rain forced a halt at Lajirkh
11 October he visited Kara-tegin
25 October he reached Samarkand and Bukhara
11 November he left Mershed for Sistan, Iran
1 December he reached Sistan
7 December he found Koh-o-Khwaja ancient ruin with Buddhist wall art in Sasanian style
3 February he was moving toward Baluchistan, India
16 March he arrived back at Srinagar.