Brief introduction, disappearance, relics, discovery, significance, Niya stupa, brief introduction When the Western Han Dynasty controlled the Western Regions, there were thirty-six small countries in this land, which were collectively called "Thirty-six Western Regions". Unfortunately, in the later years, with the war and ecological changes, some of the "Thirty-six Plans for the Western Regions" retained their vitality and developed into border towns, while others disappeared into the vast yellow sand of Taklimakan for various reasons. Located in the Taklimakan Desert, about 50 km north of Minfeng County, Hotan, there is an ancient site-Niya Site. The experts and scholars who came here to investigate called it "Pompeii in the East". It was first discovered by Stein in England in 190 1 year. Stein collected a large number of precious cultural relics such as Han dynasty documents, pottery, wood carvings and coins here, which caused a sensation in the world archaeological community. This forgotten site in the vast yellow sand has gradually attracted people's attention. However, it was not until 1930s that people could not accurately determine the exact name of this ancient site. It was not until several Han bamboo slips were found here that people knew that this place was one of the 36 countries in the Western Region. The whole site is distributed on the delta in the lower reaches of Niya River. Centered on the stupa more than two meters high, it is 25 kilometers long from north to south and 7 kilometers wide from east to west. There are more than 200 relics such as temples, houses, pits, cemeteries, orchards, forest belts, roads and pools around. Judging from the distribution range, the city was still quite large. When the Western Han Dynasty was 8820 miles away from Chang 'an, there were 480 households and 3600 people in China. The king lives in Jingjue City. The whole Jingjue State has 500 soldiers, including one from Jingjue Dewey, one from Zuojiang and one postman. Although this country is small, its geographical position is very important, so it is rich and has become the object of all the forces around it. Due to the war and other reasons, the perfect country gradually disappeared from people's vision around the 3rd century. Four hundred years after Guo Jing disappeared, Tang Xuanzang went to India. He passed by the ruins of Guo Jing and described the situation to us. Tang Xuanzang entered Shazhai from "near East Sichuan" and traveled more than 200 miles to Nilang City. On Wednesday, he was in central osawa, where it was hot and humid and it was difficult to walk. Reed is barren and there is no way to return. Only the road into the city can pass, so all the people coming and going are from this city. Quesadan thinks that the eastern border is also guarded. "This is the last record about the perfect country. Since then, the perfect country, one of the 36 countries in the western regions, has disappeared on the stage of history. Disappeared According to "The Biography of the Western Regions in Han Dynasty", Jing State is located at the foot of Kunlun Mountain and the southern edge of Taklimakan Desert, which is under the jurisdiction of the Western Regions Protection Department of Han Dynasty. Kings include generals, teachers, postmen and so on. Although the country is small, it is located in the throat of the Silk Road and its geographical position is very important. The environment described in the history books is: "The land is hot and humid, difficult to tread, and reeds are overgrown, and it is impossible to recover. "It is obvious from the few words in the article that the perfect state at that time was an oasis. After the 3rd century AD, the perfect country suddenly disappeared, and Stein's discovery made the perfect country appear in the world. Niya culture However, how did the perfect state disappear from history? Why is it buried in the rolling yellow sand? Why did the splendid oasis become the ruins of death? For this reason, historians are puzzling and arguing endlessly. Many people believe that Niya was abandoned and buried in the sand sea because Niya people cut down trees and destroyed the ecological environment, so that the water source dried up, sandstorms raged, oases disappeared, and finally they were submerged under the vast sand sea. There are also many people who are skeptical and negative about this. In order to uncover this eternal mystery, Chinese and Japanese archaeologists went deep into the Taklimakan desert in June 5438+0995 and began a large-scale scientific investigation of the Niya site. This excavation is the most fruitful one in the last hundred years, and it was rated as one of the "1995 Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries in China". The rich and well-preserved unearthed cultural relics shocked the archaeological circles in China and even the world. The most valuable archaeological discovery this time is a large number of well-preserved and distinctive tapestries and wooden slips and letters written in Balu characters. Among them, the brocade of "Five Stars Out of the East, Benefiting China" is rare in the world because of its thick texture, magnificent and smooth patterns and colorful colors. A large number of Ruben files also make archaeologists ecstatic. Zen Road originally originated from ancient Gandhara, written by Ashoka of the peacock dynasty in India in the 3rd century BC, and its full name is "Zen Road Cuisine". It was first used in northwest India and Pakistan today, and spread widely in Central Asia in the1-2nd century. In the middle of the 4th century, with the demise of the Guishuang Dynasty, Boluwen also disappeared. At the end of 18, Boruwen had already become an unknown extinct language, and it was not until 1837 that the mystery of Boruwen was discovered by British scholar Princip. But the question is, Boruwen disappeared in India, its birthplace, in the 3rd century. Why did it suddenly become popular in other countries? This really puzzles historians. The most attractive thing, of course, is the content of the wooden slips written by Lu Lu badminton. Reading them, we find that the kingdom of Niya has long been threatened and invaded by Supi people from the southwest. It can be said that the kingdom of Neya spent its last days with great anxiety in the premonition of disaster. The words on the wooden slips show that the threat of the Sur people's invasion of the kingdom of Niya is deepening step by step. For example, "the threat of Supis is very worrying, and others will check the residents in the city"; The existing people have brought important information about the SUPlS attack. "Now the news from the last place says that there is danger from Supis ... No matter how many troops there are, soldiers must leave ..." Obviously, the Niya people can't resist the powerful Supis attack, "Supis took the horse away from here"; Soubise stole his name, the slave of the Bodhisattva. Archaeologists saw many bones around the house, various relics scattered all over the floor, and the door was open or half closed in the ruins that had been sleeping for 1600 years. The earthen urn used to store Lu Wen is sealed and unopened, and there is still a lot of food in the storage room, even a thread on the spinning wheel. All this seems to tell people that the kingdom of Niya suffered a fatal blow after facing the threat of long-term invasion, and even left no final written record. At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the national strength of the Han Dynasty was exhausted, and the officers and men of the Eastern Han Dynasty evacuated from the Western Regions. The Central Plains has been plunged into long-term division and war, and there has been a political vacuum in the western regions, and countries in the western regions have also fallen into the war of the jungle. The weak Niya was finally submerged in this bloody battle, and the brocade of "Five Stars Going East, Benefiting China" revealed Niya's heart of praying for peace when she returned to China, which also made people face the thousand-year brocade and lament Niya's fate. Site Niya Site is located at the tail of Niya River, north of Minfeng County 150 km, in the hinterland of Taklimakan Desert. This ancient city was first discovered by Stein in 190 1 year, and he investigated and excavated the site again in 1906. Stein excavated 53 abandoned sites twice, and found 72 1 wooden slips in German, several wooden slips in Chinese, and weapons and musical instruments. At the same time, the site was investigated. After its findings were published, it caused a sensation in the world. After Stein, American Hengyantun in 1905 and Japanese Giant Ruichao in 19 1 1 have also set foot here. Since then, Stein has come here twice in 19 13 and 19365438. 1959 The burial tomb of the Eastern Han couple excavated is one of the major archaeological discoveries in Xinjiang. Two mummies and a number of precious cultural relics were unearthed in the tomb, among which cotton pieces and trousers dyed with flowers on a blue background are considered to be the earliest cotton pieces seen in China so far. Since 1989, Xinjiang Culture Department and related academic groups headed by Kojima Kangcheng have carried out joint investigation and investigation on the Niya site between China and Japan in a planned way, and achieved many important results. Through comprehensive investigation, Niya found that Niya site is located in an ancient oasis buried by yellow sand at the end of Niya River. Ancient relics are scattered in the sand dune chain of Gunia Valley, with stupa as the center, extending 25 kilometers from north to south in a strip shape and spreading 5-7 kilometers from east to west. In this long and narrow area, there are many housing sites, courtyards, cemeteries, pagodas, Buddhist temples, fields, orchards, barns, canals, ponds, pottery kilns and smelters with different scales and different degrees of preservation. More than 70 sites have been discovered. Niya, an ancient civilization site dreamily preserved in the vast desert, is the hometown of the "stunning country" with 480 households, 3,360 people and 500 victorious soldiers recorded in the biography of the Western Regions of Han Dynasty. 1995 The joint burial tomb of Han and Jin couples excavated by the Sino-Japanese Niya site joint investigation team is rare in the archaeological history of Xinjiang and even the whole country. At the same time, it is listed as one of the top ten ancient discoveries in China by 1995 because of its scientific norms of field archaeological excavation and a large number of exquisite and peculiar unearthed objects, which can best express the historical and romantic beauty of "burying ancient civilization in the sand". On the way to explore the ruins of Niya, visitors can also visit Dammazar in Minfeng, where ancient trees are flourishing. Mazar is located in Niya Township, 96 kilometers north of Minfeng County. It is said that Mazar is the tomb of Gapar Sadik, the sixth generation imam of Shia Islam. Damaza is a popular place, known as "Mazar for the poor", because Muslims believe that if they can't make a pilgrimage to Mecca, they will make a pilgrimage to Mecca, so they receive tens of thousands of pilgrims here every year. Since the discovery of 1700 years, due to climate and geological changes, the riverbed has retreated and degenerated into a typical mobile dune landform. One hundred years ago, it was inconceivable to talk about the existence of such an ancient civilization in the vast sea of death. However, the archaeological achievements in the past hundred years have proved that the existence of this "Oriental Pompeii City" is an ironclad fact, leaving people with only textual research on this fact. It is generally believed that the disappearance of residential communities around the desert is always accompanied by the retreat, diversion or deterioration of other natural conditions of rivers. However, the comprehensive study of archaeology, meteorology and hydrogeology of the Niya site shows that the demise of Niya civilization is probably not due to the variation of natural conditions, but to military, social or other unexpected factors. This magical site has left an eternal mystery to mankind. (Note: Taklimakan Desert is located in the Tarim Basin between Tianshan and Kunlun Mountains. East-west length 1500 km, north-south length 600 km, covering an area of 5.57 million square kilometers. Nobody knows how to describe it. Is this the forbidden area of life? You will think that she is alive and beautiful. Yes, it's beautiful. Nothing can restrain the pace of human pursuit of beauty, so Niya is destined to be a lonely and painful hiking. But when you stop here, you will find the real world is so far away. When the worldly glitz is washed away, at that moment, everyone is real, just like a child, enjoying that little bit of happiness and joy with a pair of innocent eyes, which is enough. Perhaps only Niya, a dead place, can make people really feel the meaning of life! Niyari said that thousands of years ago, there was a serious typhoon in Niyari, which accumulated 3-4 meters of sand overnight, resulting in the sudden death of the whole city. There is also such a vivid description. The earliest people who came to the Niya site found that around the stupa in the city center, there were many people wearing only underwear, holding the stupa and dying there. Is Niya really destroyed by a terrible mutation like the legend? There is also a bizarre report that on the giant Buddha statue at the Niya site, archaeologists found the words carved in ancient Uyghur: If you don't believe Huda, you will perish! Who would give such a warning in this ancient place? According to historical records, two thousand years ago, the natural environment and swamp vegetation in Niya area were very good. At the beginning of the century, Stein, an Englishman, recorded what he saw when he entered Virginia: there were beautifully carved wooden chairs in the hall of the house, and the millet accumulated in the storage room was orange-yellow ... The ancient Nia river meandered among the sandbags of red willows, and on the first-class terrace along the coast, many ancient human activities were intermittently seen, with rough pieces of red clay pots scattered, which may have been left by the treasure thieves of that year. The farther away, the bigger the sandbags, and the more desolate and lonely the scenery. Yang Yichou's camel slowly climbed onto a big platform. He saw a gray stupa in the north, and his blood surged upward. This is the symbol of Gunia that he misses day and night. The expedition took the Great Pagoda as the center and rode a camel to conduct a comprehensive radial investigation. They found the remains of ancient houses. The wall is made of reeds and red willow branches, and the outside is covered with mud. Pieces of pottery were scattered inside the house. Yang Yichou even found a bag of peach stones ... Stein once recorded that there was a bridge in the ruins of Niagu, which aroused great interest of the expedition. They are looking for this ancient bridge. Seven or eight kilometers south of the Great Pagoda, according to Stein's mark, Yang Yichou really found the bridge. The wooden samples of the bridge were taken for analysis, and the time was about 1700 years ago. What secrets are hidden under the ancient city of Virginia? The expedition decided to uncover the sand layer and explore the mystery of the age. Yang Yichou made a detailed work record at that time: Today, he rode a camel to continue his investigation in the north and swam in the vast sand sea. Uighur Laosha pointed out that this is an ancient tomb. Everybody hurry down and look for it among the dunes. Lao Sha is sharp-eyed, scratching the ground and looking around. Later, he picked up many beads, red, yellow and yellow. Lao Sha said that these are funerary objects, which will be exposed after every storm. Every time he came, he got something. He brought back a complete "mummy" from here. We saw a coffin exposed to the surface of the earth, which was actually a hollow trunk of Populus euphratica. The body was stuffed in the middle and dried into a "mummy". Beside the wooden coffin, there are wisps of red silk, orange leggings and golden hairs floating on the sand dunes. Lao Sha said there must be mummies here. The next day, Niya came again and unearthed a "mummy" with a missing head: shriveled skin wrapped in bones, revealing bent ribs and vertebrae, two stovepipe bones stretched out into the distance in a prone position, and some parts of her body were wrapped in red and yellow silk and hemp. The wind and sand kept blowing, so we quickly took photos, recorded and located them, then took samples of clothes and coffins, and finally buried him with sand. When we left the cemetery and walked back, we found another dense white skeleton about half a kilometer away from the Great Pagoda. The camel worker also saw a complete red clay pot next to the sandbag. Three days later, I braved the rare southwest wind here and rode a camel to the construction site. The workers are barefoot, wearing big masks or towels on their mouths, kneeling in their respective squares, holding scrapers, scrapers and brushes in their hands, and cleaning the ground little by little. Everything they touch should be carefully observed. If cultural relics are found, they should be described truthfully, informed to take photos and measure, then collected, labeled and put into pockets, while the surplus sand shovel is swept into another square and transported out by migrant workers. It can be said that in this meticulous excavation, not a stitch will be missed, but if all the ruins of Nyaya are excavated in this way, it will take at least 50 years. Through a comprehensive investigation and excavation of Niya, the expedition team found more than 90 ancient Bolu sites and precious wooden slips. Ancient sites are distributed along the north-south direction of ancient rivers, which shows that Niya residents have an inseparable relationship with water. I imagined that the waterway on the oasis was bifurcated, and the lake pond was full of Luobu people and Niya people who lived by water. The river was clear and flowing, and the lake pond was full of waves. The tall Hu Yangshu was rustled by the wind in front of the house, and the lush old mulberry trees, peach trees and chic willows were reflected on the water. In the Populus euphratica forest and reed meadow, the flocks haunt, the vineyards are green, the looms in the hostess's room creak, the fire in the pottery field is red, and some leisurely people are eating peaches and mulberries while baking. This is a wonderful pastoral scenery. However, the vicissitudes of life, all this has disappeared. For the fall of Niya, Yang Yichou explained this "eternal mystery" in his book "The Changes of Niya's Geographical Environment and the Rise and Fall of Civilization". He believes that we must think from the big environmental changes. In terms of nature, the environmental conditions based on climate are becoming more and more severe, and the most sensitive reflection is water, which can be found in the existing ruins. For example, the discovery of many waterlogged dams is an important way for people in arid areas to store water and survive, which is still in use today. The worsening contradiction between limited water resources and expanding human activities, frequent ethnic and religious wars, extensive and backward production methods, and human destruction of plants and water sources will all lead to and accelerate the depletion of water resources and the expansion of desertification. Without the necessary conditions for survival, the Niya people will be forced to migrate, and the demise of Niya is inevitable. Yang Yichou firmly believes in his judgment: "Niya will not suddenly disappear because of some sudden disaster. There is no evidence that Niya died overnight, nor that Niya people left in a hurry. Kabak village, at the end of modern Niya River, is a living example in the harsh environment and the frequent migration of swimming life for decades. "In the hinterland of the desert, more than 20 remains of the ancient city of Han and Tang Dynasties have been discovered. These ancient cities, which are about 100 km away from the southern edge of the Taklimakan desert, form a line from east to west, forming and creating the famous ancient "Silk Road" and its glory. " Water goes to empty people, and the road dies ",which is an iron law of the desert. The discovery of the meaningful Niya site provides valuable information for studying the relationship between the Central Plains dynasty and ancient western countries, and for studying the cultural exchanges between the East and the West and the Silk Road. Niya Site is located at the tail of Niya River, north of Minfeng County 150km, in the hinterland of Taklimakan Desert. This ancient city was first discovered by Stein in 190 1 year, and he investigated and excavated the site again in 1906. Stein excavated 53 abandoned sites twice, and found 72 1 wooden slips in German, several wooden slips in Chinese, and weapons and musical instruments. At the same time, the site was investigated. After its findings were published, it caused a sensation in the world. After Stein, 1905 American genton, 19 1 1 Japanese giant Ruichao also set foot here successively. Since then, Stein has visited here twice in 19 13 and 19365438. 1959 The burial tomb of the Eastern Han couple excavated is one of the major archaeological discoveries in Xinjiang. Two mummies and a number of precious cultural relics were unearthed in the tomb, among which cotton pieces and trousers dyed with flowers on a blue background are considered to be the earliest cotton pieces seen in China so far. Since 1989, Xinjiang Culture Department and related academic groups headed by Kojima Kangcheng have carried out joint investigation and investigation on the Niya site between China and Japan in a planned way, and achieved many important results. Through comprehensive investigation, Niya found that Niya site is located in an ancient oasis buried by yellow sand at the end of Niya River. Ancient relics are scattered in the sand dune chain of Gunia Valley, with stupa as the center, extending 25 kilometers from north to south in a strip shape and spreading 5-7 kilometers from east to west. In this long and narrow area, there are many housing sites, courtyards, cemeteries, pagodas, Buddhist temples, fields, orchards, barns, canals, ponds, pottery kilns and smelters with different scales and different degrees of preservation. More than 70 sites have been discovered. Niya, an ancient civilization site dreamily preserved in the vast desert, is the hometown of the "stunning country" with 480 households, 3,360 people and 500 victorious soldiers recorded in the biography of the Western Regions of Han Dynasty. 1995 The joint burial tomb of Han and Jin couples excavated by the Sino-Japanese Niya site joint investigation team is rare in the archaeological history of Xinjiang and even the whole country. At the same time, it is listed as one of the top ten ancient discoveries in China by 1995 because of its scientific norms of field archaeological excavation and a large number of exquisite and peculiar unearthed objects, which can best express the historical and romantic beauty of "burying ancient civilization in the sand". On the way to explore the ruins of Niya, visitors can also visit Dammazar in Minfeng, where ancient trees are flourishing. Mazar is located in Niya Township, 96 kilometers north of Minfeng County. It is said that Mazar is the tomb of Gapar Sadik, the sixth generation imam of Shia Islam. Damaza is a popular place, known as "Mazar for the poor", because Muslims believe that if they can't make a pilgrimage to Mecca, they will make a pilgrimage to Mecca, so they receive tens of thousands of pilgrims here every year. The Niya site is located in the desert 20 kilometers north of Kabasika village, Minfeng county, on the southern edge of Taklimakan desert, and the Imam jaafar Sadik Damaza (tomb) is also famous (ticket 50 yuan/person). The Niya site is a long and narrow strip centered at 82 degrees 43 minutes 14 seconds east longitude and 37 degrees 58 minutes 35 seconds north latitude. It is 7 kilometers wide from east to west and 25 kilometers long from north to south, scattered on the ancient riverbed of the Niya River. In recent years, the site area has moved to the north for dozens of kilometers. In the 3rd century 1700 years ago, the Niya River, which originated from the Lystad Glacier in Kunlun Mountain, extended northward, when it was still a bustling oasis. Since 1700, due to the changes of climate and geology, the riverbed has retreated and degenerated into a typical mobile dune landform. One hundred years ago, it was inconceivable to talk about the existence of such an ancient civilization in the vast sea of death. However, the archaeological achievements in the past hundred years have proved that the existence of this "Oriental Pompeii City" is an ironclad fact, leaving people with only textual research on this fact. It is generally believed that the disappearance of residential communities around the desert is always accompanied by the retreat, diversion or deterioration of other natural conditions of rivers. However, the comprehensive study of archaeology, meteorology and hydrogeology of the Niya site shows that the demise of Niya civilization is probably not due to the variation of natural conditions, but to military, social or other unexpected factors. This magical site has left an eternal mystery to mankind. This ancient city was first discovered by British Stein in 190 1 and was identified as the site of a perfect country in the Western Han Dynasty. The Niya site was an east-west traffic fortress on the southern line of the Silk Road in the Western Regions during the Han and Jin Dynasties. It is located at the southern edge of Taklimakan Desert, about 0/00 km north of Minfeng County, Hotan, Xinjiang, and at the end of Niya River. The site is centered on the stupa located at 37 58 ′ 45.3 ″ north latitude and 82 43 ′13.5 ″ east longitude, and distributed in a north-south belt along the Gunia River. The distribution range is about 30 kilometers from north to south and 7 kilometers from east to west. There are scattered houses, pagodas, temples, city sites, smelting and casting sites, pottery kilns, tombs and orchards. From 190 1, the first discovery of the Niya site by Mark O'Rear Stein, a British Hungarian, to the joint academic investigation between China and Japan in recent years, Niya archaeology has gone through nearly a hundred years, especially the joint academic investigation between China and Japan in recent years. The site was systematically investigated and scientifically standardized, and many important ancient cultural relics and precious cultural relics were discovered, which gradually unveiled the mysterious veil of the Niya site. Niya, formerly known as the Ancient Fine Kingdom, is located in the desert about 150 km north of Minfeng County, surrounded by rolling sand mountains. Some excavated buildings are well preserved, except houses with civil structures, as well as rivers and canals. Wooden slips and sheepskin documents used for writing ancient Chinese characters were also found in the site. 1995 The discovery of the No.1 cemetery in Niya has made fruitful achievements in Niya archaeology. It was rated as "one of the top ten archaeological discoveries in China" by National Cultural Heritage Administration in that year, which caused a sensation in academic circles and attracted worldwide attention. In the area of 100 square meter, eight tombs belonging to the upper ruling group of society were excavated, with rich funerary objects, high grade and well preserved. According to its types, it can be divided into pottery, wood, iron, lacquer, bows and arrows, textiles and beads, among which textiles are big heads. In particular, a number of thread fabrics and fine-wool fabrics with complicated organization, gorgeous colors and intricate patterns have been unearthed, such as the brocade of "The Millennium Prince" and the brocade of "Five Stars Coming out of Donghua", which have been designated as national treasures by the National Cultural Heritage Administration Appraisal Committee. The Niya site is a "exquisite" national site recorded in The Biography of the Western Regions in Han Dynasty. It was annexed by Khan at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty and later controlled by Wei and Jin Dynasties. Because it is located in the traffic passage of the Southern Silk Road, the excavation of a large number of cultural relics not only reflects the rich regional cultural characteristics, but also provides detailed information for the study of the history of the western regions, the history of the Silk Road and the history of ancient cultural exchanges between the East and the West. Niya and Loulan are the two most famous ancient city ruins in China. Now the mystery of Loulan has been revealed bit by bit, but Niya still refuses to show the world its fantastic history. Perhaps because of this, countless people set foot on this magical land without hesitation every year. Niya, formerly known as the Ancient Fine Kingdom, is located in the desert about 150 km north of Minfeng County, surrounded by rolling sand mountains. Some excavated buildings are well preserved, except houses with civil structures, as well as rivers and canals. Wooden slips and sheepskin documents used for writing ancient Chinese characters were also found in the site. According to relevant documents, in the Western Han Dynasty, Niya was a small country in the western regions. Who are their ancestors? From where? Why annihilate? When it will be annihilated is an unknown mystery. People only rely on a few things in their hands to let their thoughts wander over the dust and sand of the Millennium, and get a glimpse of the distant ancient country at the end of the historical tunnel ... Special care: entering Niya requires the approval of the local cultural management department and a certain amount of cultural relics maintenance fees. Transportation: Take the shuttle bus from Hotan to Niya first, and then rent a cross-country jeep. Niyatan Niyata is located in the Niyata site in Minfeng County, in the lower reaches of the Niyata River. Niya site is a residential site of ancient residents and a national key cultural relics protection unit. Judging from the distribution of the site now, it is about 22 kilometers long from north to south, with the canal as the boundary from east to west. It is the heritage of a lost country in the Han and Jin Dynasties, with rich unearthed cultural relics, among which Boluwen and Brocade of Immortal Son are the essence, as well as China's wooden slips, woodwork, seals, bronzes and ironware, currency, pottery, silk fragments and other tools of life and production. The unearthed documents are mainly imperial edicts, official documents, private agreements, letters, temples and poems, which are precious written materials for studying the history of the western regions.