File:Ancient Khotan, Vol. 1.jpg

English: Book cover of the first volume of Ancient Khotan: Detailed Report of Archaeological Explorations in Chinese Turkestan by Marc Aurel Stein, published in 1907 in England.

Cover: A vignette of the goddess Athena in confrontational pose, brandishing a thunderbolt in her right hand and holding on her left arm the aegis, a terrifying goatskin shield tasselled with snakes and bearing the head of the Gorgon Medusa. This reproduction is the work of Stein’s friend and collaborator, the artist Fred Henry Andrews, and it’s based on a clay seal discovered by Stein while excavating at Niya, a site in the Tarim Basin.

Content: Report on the results of Stein’s first expedition to Central Asia (1900-1901). Consists of the main text and plates for each volume. Stein’s expeditions are considered the most orthodox. He collected a vast volume of artifacts and documents and produced accurate records and detailed maps. Stein wrote three volumes of reports in 11 separate books. His records are indispensable for the study of the western region. This report is the first volume. The main study area is the region around Khotan. The report includes the results of excavations at the ruins of ancient temples in Dandan-Uiliq and Khadalik, Kharosti documents found in the ruins at Niya, and pictures of numerous paintings, sculptures and ancient documents. Source: http://dsr.nii.ac.jp/toyobunko/VIII-5-B2-7/