Tang remains from the Keyak Khduk Beacon site in Yuli County, Xinjiang

Abstract

Through consecutive fieldwork seasons from 2019 to 2020 at the Keyak Khduk Beacon site, the excavation team of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Regional Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology has unearthed a variety of structures such as a residential area, a berm, a wooden fence, a ramp, and several ash piles. All uncovered artifacts are of practical use for frontier soldiers, including paper and wooden-strip documents, objects made of ceramic, bronze, iron, wood, stone, bone, horn, leather, textile, and grass, and many remains of plants and animals. The excavated texts mention different levels of military units such as “Tonghai Garrison” and “Yulin Garrison” and multiple military roads such as “Loulan Route,” “Yanqi Route,” and “Mazezei Route.” The information fills the gap in the historical records about the military defense system under the Karasahr Garrison, one of the Four Garrisons of Anxi, proving the Tang’s effective administration and governance over the Western Regions. This excavation project has provided new materials for understanding Tang garrisons’ planning characteristics and construction techniques in the Western Regions. It will also greatly facilitate research progress in Dunhuangology, Turfanology, bibliography, history of calligraphic art, and other related fields.