Silkroads News

Tang Brick Road found at Kucha, with ‘OR code’Sealed

Summary: Tang Brick Road found at Kucha, with ‘OR code’Sealed Recently, according to information reported by local people, the Kucha Bureau of Cultural Relics excavated ancient pathways made by black bricks at the 5 meter depth in a construction site near the big


Tang Brick Road found at Kucha, with ‘OR code’Sealed


Recently, according to information reported by local people, the Kucha Bureau of Cultural Relics excavated ancient pathways made by black bricks at the 5 meter depth in a construction site near the big Bazzar of the old city of Kucha.Those bricks might be cultural relics considering their distinctive features differed from modern products. The Kucha Bureau of Cultural Relics is conducting a protective excavation right now.

     On the spot, specialists invited by the Kucha Bureau of Cultural Relics are clearing up the site. The road of black bricks is 5.7 meters deep from the ground. The road is 13 meters long and 1 meter wide. Bricks are arranged orderly with one vertically and the other horizontally connected, and a medallion pattern made of two bricks. These bricks look ordinary, however, the reverse side of each brick has a handprint, which is rarely seen at this area.

     Wu Yong, the director of the Han-Tnag Archaeology Research Office of the Xinjiang Archaeology Research Academy, introduces that black bricks in the ancient times are made in divisions of the official and the nongovernmental workshops. Bricks made by the officials had incised information for future investigation in case of quality issues, while the private workshops applied the simplified  handprint patterns to discern themselves from the others. Once the craftsmen sealed their handprints, they were responsible for the quality of the bricks.


    The brick road is located at the center of the ancient Kucha Kingdom of the western river bank region of Kucha. Scholars speculated that there might be more cultural remains burried down in the earth aroung 4, 5 meters deep, however, nothing found in this area after excavations for several days. This brick road suggests a close relationship of the Western Region to the central government of the Tang Dynasty, considering its affinities of the architectural styles and decorative patterns to the contemporaneous Central Plain.

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