Abstract
purpose of our presentation are to propose a new study method on the ruins distributing in the arid and sub-arid regions collaborating with high-resolution satellite image, archeology, history and geography, and discuss its significance mainly based on interpretation of the high resolution satellite image, quickbird Image of the maximum ground resolution about 60 cm and fields surveys.three sites are selected for the study sites, namely, lower reaches of the heihe river, western part of inner mongolia, lou-lan sites of the tarim basin, and khunkhuree sites, central part of mongolia. results are as followes.
in the lower reaches of the heihe river, bj2008 ruins are nearly the square shape in the plane with length from 120cm to 140cm. these features are nearly same as both in the size and the plane shape as the k710 ruins and the k688 ruins, of the largest ones of the han dynasty in the area. fields data such as the type and ages of the earthenware scattered around the bj2008 ruins, the wall construction method, suggest the construction of the bj2008 ruins were in the former han dynasty same as the k688 ruins and k710 ruins. the locations of main wall-surrounded ruins and three platoons of this area suggest existence of the systematic planning in the juyan colonial soldier-settlements and separation of the areas for cultivation and for pasturage.
the former han dynasty, also, advanced to the lou-lan area in the tarim basin and soldiers settled there. There are fore large wall-surrounded ruins with quadrangle plane shape; la, le, lk and ll(stein, 1921). based on the interpretation of the quickbird and corona images focusing on the plane shape against sever prevailing winds direction, one diagonal line of the le is nearly to the parallel, others are one wall being nearly right angle. this suggests the idea on construction of the le was different from these of the others. the lengthes of the walls of the le are around 130m and these are nearly the same with those of the bj2008, k710 and k688 in the juyan area. in addition, the wall structure of the le is same as the great wall of dunhuang area in the han dynasty (stein, 1921). based on the above mentioned, it is suggested that the le ruins was the yixun city, constructed during the former han dynasty. this point is very important to the problem on the place of the lou-lan ingdom capital during the former han dynasty.
the khunkhuree site, during the period of the mongol empire, was a farming area with pasturage one with utilizing abundant underground water. historical documents suggests the khunkhuree supplied provisions to kharakhorum in the center of the mongol plateau.
