Sir Aurel Stein in the "Times"

Sir Aurel Stein (1862-1943) is renowned for his breath-taking archaeological exploration in Chinese Central Asia, India, Iran, Iraq and Jordan, and for his pioneering work on the early civilizations on the "Silk Road". This book brings together over 100 articles and news items relating to Stein and his expeditions, as printed in "The Times" newspaper between 1901-1943, allowing us to follow his achievements as they were first announced in the most important broadsheet of the British empire. Presented in chronological order, they provide a unique narrative of Stein's career as perceived and understood by his contemporaries. Stein had friends all over the world and useful contacts at "The Times". But is there a story behind the publicity? Was Stein media hungry or publicity shy? This hidden context is explored in the introduction.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements -- 11 Introduction -- 13 Sir Aurel Stein in The Times -- 27 1. Discoveries in Chinese Turkestan (30 March 1901, 7f) 2. Review: The Kings of Kashmir (6 April 1901, 11e) 3. Archaeological exploration in Chinese Turkestan (1 Oct 1901, 4f) 4. Unearthing a buried past (TLS [front page], 11 September 1903) 5. The Indian Government mission to Eastern Turkestan (29 May 1906, 4a) 6. The Indian Government mission to Eastern Turkestan (30 June 1906, 13e) 7. Dr Stein's expedition in Central Asia (8 December 1906, 4a) 8. Dr Stein's expedition in Central Asia (25 May 1907, 8a) 9. Dr Stein's expedition in Central Asia (15 Oct 1907, 11a) 10. Dr Stein's Central Asian expedition (13 April 1908, 15a) 11. Dr Stein's expedition in Central Asia (21 September 1907, 8a) 12. Exploration in Central Asia (16 Oct 1908, 7e) 13. Dr Stein's expedition in Central Asia (28 November 1908, 7c) 14. Dr Stein's travels (12 November 1908, 5d) 15. Arrival of Dr M A Stein (23 January 1909, 6d) 16. University intelligence: honorary degree (25 February 1909, 10c) 17. University intelligence: honorary degrees (3 March 1909, 8c) 18. Court circular (3 March 1909, 11b) 19. Dr Stein's travels in Central Asia: archaeological discoveries (9 March 1909, 10 a-d) 20. Dr Stein's explorations in Central Asia (31 March 1909, 9d) 21. Dr Stein's expedition in Central Asia (5 April 1909, 8b) 22. Royal Geographical Society. Special gold medal for Lieutenant Shackleton (6 April 1909, 10a) 23. Dr Stein and the Campbell Memorial Medal (8 April 1909, 3f) 24. University intelligence: Dr Stein (6 May 1909, 14e) 25. Court circular (19 May 1909, 13a) 26. Royal Geographical Society. Anniversary Meeting (25 May 1909, 10a) 27. Central Asian Society. Annual Dinner (27 May 1909, 8d) 28. Livingstone College (27 May 1909, 9b) 29. Honour for Dr Stein (19 June 1909, 13c) 30. Court news (28 July 1909, 15a) 31. University intelligence (21 January 1910, 4d) 32. Birthday Honours: Indian Honours, CIE (24 June 1910, 9c) 33. Court News (30 November 1911, 9a) 34. Review: Desert Cathay (TLS, 7 March 1912, 97b) 35. Birthday Honours: Indian Honours, KCIE (14 June 1912, 10b) 36. Honour for Dr Stein (19 July 1912, 11e) 37. Exploration in Central Asia. Sir A Stein's new mission (23 September 1913, 6d) 38. Sir Aurel Stein's expedition: Exploring Central Asia: A cross waterless wastes (26 June 1914, 7f) 39. Oriental literature: curiosities of the Stein collection (2 May 1914, 12d) 40. King Edward Galleries. The extension of the British Museum. Royal opening ceremony (5 May 1914, 4f) 41. Wonders of the East. Exhibits in the British Museum extension. Royal opening today (7 May 1914, 5c) 42. Correction to reference on Stein (8 May 1914, 4a) 43. The King and the Museum. King Edward Gallery opened. Growth of the collection (8 May 1914, 4a) 44. Desert treasure. Discoveries in Central Asia. Original land of the Huns (7 April 1915, 10d) 45. News of Sir Aurel Stein. Discoveries in the Pamirs (9 December 1915, 5b) 46. Sir Aurel Stein's journey. Relics of ancient races (5 April 1916, 5d) 47. Old caravan way in Asia. Sir A Stein's discoveries (27 May 1916, 5c) 48. An unknown tongue. Sir Aurel Stein's discovery (9 January 1917, 5e) 49. Ancient Chinese Art. Sir Aurel Stein's discoveries (letter from Mr F H Brown) (TLS, 26 July 1917, 357b) 50. Court circular (16 February 1920, 17b) 51. Court circular (15 May 1920, 17b) 52. New books and reprints. Kharoshthi inscriptions discovered by Sir Aurel Stein in Chinese Turkestan (TLS, 1 July 1920, 425a) 53. Sir Aurel Stein and Central Asia. Review: Serindia: Detailed Report of Explorations in Central Asia and Westernmost China (TLS, 28 July 1921, 474b) 54. Books of the day. A cycle of Cathay review: Ruins of Desert Cathay (27 December 1921, 11e) 55. The Great Wall and the Thousand Buddhas (TLS [front page] 4 May 1922) 56. Imperial and foreign news (21 April 1923, 9g) 57. Archaeological work in Afghanistan. British help invited (25 May 1923, 11e) 58. Imperial and foreign news (29 May 1923, 13g) 59. Archaeology in Afghanistan. The French monopoly (29 December 1923, 7c) 60. Telegrams in brief (26 February 1925, 11g) 60. Rock stronghold of Aornos. Indian frontier discovery. Sir Aurel Stein's work (27 May 1926, 4c) 62. Imperial and foreign news. The stronghold of Aornos. Sir Aurel Stein's discoveries (15 June 1926, 15a) 63. Alexander the Great. Indian frontier campaign. Sites identified (25 Oct 1926, 17f) 64. Alexander the Great. Sir Aurel Stein's discoveries. II. Rock of Aornos (26 Oct 1926, 17f) 65. Stein awarded Petrie medal for archaeology at London University (22 March 1928, 21c) 66. Sir Aurel Stein's explorations (28 April 1928, 13f) 67. The ancient civilizations of Central Asia (9 March 1929, 18a-f) 68. The dead heart of Asia. Antique hoards. Sir Aurel Stein's discoveries (9 March 1929, 13f-14a) 69. Review: Innermost Asia (9 March 1929, 13b-c) 70. Books of the week. On Alexander's Track. Sir Aurel Stein's travels (21 June 1929, 19b) 71. Stein receives Petrie Medal at London University (29 June 1929, 7e) 72. Roman finds in the Near East. Sir A Stein's plea for air survey in Transjordan (4 July 1929, 11c) 73. Receptions. Lady Petrie. Stein receives Petrie medal (6 July 1929, 17d) 74. Petrie Medal for Archaeology. Presentation to Sir Aurel Stein (8 July 1929) 75. Stein's lecture in Budapest (15 Oct 1929, 14c) 76. 'New' China and Sir Aurel Stein. Demand for expulsion (29 December 1930, 10b) 77. China and Sir Aurel Stein. The expulsion demand (30 December 1930, 10c) 78. Sir Aurel Stein in China. Letter to the Editor of The Times (3 January 1931, 11e) 79. Imperial and foreign news: China and her treasures. Hampering the scientist (30 March 1931, 11a) 80. Telegrams in brief: Stein's archaeological expedition in Central Asia (18 April 1931, 9g) 81. Sir Aurel Stein's expedition. Probable return (13 May 1931, 15d) 82. Sir Aurel Stein's expedition. Probable return (TWE, 21 May 1931) 83. Sir Aurel Stein. Turkestan expedition abandoned (25 May 1931, 9g) 84. Into Chinese Turkestan. Sir Aurel Stein's expedition. Obstruction from Nanking (16 July 1931, 13f) 85. Ancient MSS found in Kashmir. Sir Aurel Stein's report (24 July 1931, 10c) 86. A historic victory. Alexander's fight with Poros. The passage of the Jhelum (15 April 1932, 15f) 87. Sir Aurel Stein honoured. Gold medal of the Royal Asiatic Society (17 June 1932, 16c) 88. Book of the week. Central Asia. Sir Aurel Stein's discoveries. Review: On Ancient Central Asian tracks (7 April 1933, 10c) 89. The President of Corpus: Letter from Stein on Dr P S Allen (11 July 1933, 16b) 90. Excavations in Persia. Gertrude Bell Memorial Grant of GBP500 (27 December 1933, 13e) 91. The Indo-Iranian borderlands. Sir Aurel Stein on his explorations (1 August 1934, 6e) 92. Prehistoric sites in Persia. Discoveries of Sir Aurel Stein (19 December 1934, 17e) 93. Sir Aurel Stein awarded gold medal by Society of Antiquaries (18 April 1935, 10c) 94. Britain's antiquities. Sir Frederic Kenyon on research (1 May 1935, 11b) 95. Sir Aurel Stein's next expedition. Researches in S Persia (18 Oct 1935, 13d) 96. Eastern frontiers of Roman Empire. Sir Aurel Stein's proposed survey (27 June 1936, 13e) 97. Ancient ways in Iran. A fourth journey. I. Traces of Alexander the Great (6 July 1936, 15f) 98. Ancient ways in Iran. II. Luristan. From the oilfields to the heights (7 July 1936, 17f) 99. A veteran explorer (12 November 1937, 17c) 100. Secrets of South Persia. Sir Aurel Stein's exploration in Iran. Alexander's route (12 November 1937, 18e) 101. India and Iran. Sir A Stein on early relations. Excavations at site of Mohenjodaro (17 November 1937, 9d) 102. Sir Aurel Stein's mishap (17 February 1937, 14e) 103. Roman frontier in Middle East. Sir Aurel Stein's survey (14 April 1939, 16d) 104. Old Roman boundary in the East. Sir Aurel Stein's search (1 June 1939, 7e) 105. Sir Aurel Stein. A great Asiatic explorer (28 Oct 1943, 7e) 106. Sir Aurel Stein. To the Editor of The Times (30 Oct 1943, 5e) 107. Sir Aurel Stein (4 November 1943, 7d) Notes -- 131 Bibliography -- 139 List of illustrations -- 141 Appendix 1: Introduction to the first major display of the Stein collections, from the Guide to an exhibition of paintings, manuscripts, and other archaeological objects, collected by Sir Aurel Stein, KCIE, in Chinese Turkestan. British Museum, 1914 -- 143 Appendix 2: Meng Fanren's Preface to the Chinese translation of Serindia -- 147 Index -- 153

About the Author :
Helen Wang is Curator of East Asian Money in the Department of Coins and Medals at the British Museum. Her publications include Money on the Silk Road: the evidence from Eastern Central Asia to c.AD 800 (2004), a number of books on the archaeologist Sir Aurel Stein and his collections - including Handbook to the Stein Collections in the UK (1999), and Sir Aurel Stein in The Times (2002) -, Metallurgical Analysis of Chinese Coins at the British Museum (2005), articles on East Asian money, and translations of contemporary Chinese literature.