Felsbilder und Inschriften am Karakorum-Highway

true, could have been the predecessor of zzazzzfzfz'ppazzzazfz'Zyazzazzzfz
ruling at the end of the 7th century AD, or, more probably, he
was a non-ruling member of the dynasty.
The last inscription of historical importance to be discussed here,
has been discovered by Dr. Adam NAYYAR, Director of the
National Institute for Folk Heritage, Islamabad, in Shigar/
Baltistan in October 1984. It is the only metrical inscription
found up to now written in the szPPazizzz metre: ya: ^-/ zzza:
-/ ZZa: ^ ^ w / Sa: ^ ^ / PPa: — ^ / /a: ga: — :
67. a: ayazzz g*a-— ^ ^ ^ ta^azzzfaPatPzzzazzazzz :
b: asasazzzft'Zz)ZaZZZzfa)MSayapaZ'Z Pzzzz)azza ZZPpatZp
C: pZZZZaz* zfaZtazZZ g'ayt/zZZaPapaZZSaZazZZ pPtZZZZazzasaP
d: azz^zzayazzz P^tO PPa^aZa Zazzay^ /oPa
e: gZZPa^^P
f: Przz Pzz&/PaPa/a (Shigar)
The first aPsara filling the gap in line % should be a ligature, as the
preceding syllable should be metrically long. At the end of line %
the aPsara read as rPz is not beyond doubt. However, a comparison
with the pa in PParatzz or garap^, both written in a more longish
shape, seems to favour tPz without ruling out pz. The -z is written
again as a full circle in Pztz. The last aPsara in line a is a flat zza,
more archaic than the zza occurring again in two different shapes
with a flat "roof' in azz^zzayazzz, and with a pointed "roof' in
Pzzzz/'azza. The fourth aPsara in line P seems to be czz, although no
second <ra is found for comparison in this inscription. Any other
aPsara, however, seems to be ruled out. As a long syllable is re-
quired by the metre in this position, the only possible vowel
seems to be -zz. The damaged ligature zzzz, rather than zt or zzt,
ends in an upward stroke at the right top side, which, though
blurred, can hardly be anything else but -a. In spite of the some-
what different shape of the Pa or Pa, if PaZpzzzazza or /oPa are
compared, the suggested reading seems to be justified. The fol-
lowing aPsapa is zz/'a , cf. ^ zz/'a in manuscript B 71a7 and zz/'a
in manuscript C 18b7 of the 5azzzg*Pataszztpa. The long -a is
written as a stroke, compare azz^zzayazzz .
The interpretation of the inscription, the reading of which does
not pose any serious problem, remains difficult though, because
of unidentified names and first of all because of a remarkable
lack in grammatical endings, what may be due to the difficulties

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