1862 Venuikof - MYSTERIOUS LAKE ISSYK-KUL - Tian-Shan

Title: Notes on the Lake of Issyk-Kul, and the River Koshkar.

Author: Venuikof, W.
Publisher: London: John Murray, 1862.

Notes & Condition: An English translation of Venuikof's contemporary report on his expedition to the mysterious lake in the Tian Shan. Venuikof was highly respected, and considered as an authority on regions on the south-east frontier of Russia. From his survey, he makes corrections to previous maps of Issyk-Kul and the surrounding country of the Tian-shan, specifically on the placement of Issyk-Kul Lake and of the Fort of Vernoe, and further describes the Celestial mountain range, its lakes, rivers and summits.

5 pages. These are original text pages printed in 1862, in excellent condition. Attractively bound booklet style in modern blue paper covers with label.

Issyk Kul (Ysyk Köl, Issyk-Kol) is an endorheic lake in the northern Tian Shan mountains in eastern Kyrgyzstan. Although it is surrounded by snow-capped peaks, it never freezes; hence its name, which means "warm lake" in the Kyrgyz language. Lake Issyk Kul was a stopover on the Silk Road, a land route for travelers from the Far East to Europe. Many historians believe that the lake was the point of origin for the Black Death that plagued Europe and Asia during the early and mid-14th century. The lake's status as a byway for travelers allowed the plague to spread across these continents via medieval merchants who unknowingly carried infested vermin along with them.

A 14th century Armenian monastery was found on the northeastern shores of the lake by retracing the steps of a medieval map used by Venetian merchants on the Silk Road. Divers have found the remains of drowned settlements in shallow areas around the lake, and archaeologists have discovered the remains of a 2500-year-old advanced civilization at the bottom of the lake. Other findings included Scythian burial mounds eroded over the centuries by waves, as well as numerous well-preserved artifacts, including bronze battleaxes, arrowheads, self-sharpening daggers, objects discarded by smiths, casting molds, and a faceted gold bar that was a monetary unit of the time. Articles identified as the world's oldest extant coins were also found underwater with gold wire rings used as small change and a large hexahedral goldpiece. Also found was a bronze cauldron with a level of craftsmanship that is today achieved by using an inert gas environment.