The Curse of the Dead City

Lost in the sands of the Gobi Desert lie the ruins of an ancient Tangut city. They still guard unique artifacts, puzzling structures, and a vast library of manuscripts.

Mongolian legend says Kara-Khoto—also known through the ages as Indikutshari, Khozhou, and Gaochang—was built by the first descendants of the gods, back when a warm sea covered what is now the Gobi. The city’s fall is tied to its last ruler, Khara-Jian-Jun. After a string of defeats at the hands of a Chinese emperor, he retreated behind the city’s massive walls. The Chinese army diverted the Ejin-Gol River, cutting off the defenders’ water. Facing certain doom, the ruler hid his immeasurable treasure, slew his own family, and died in a final charge. The conquerors then wiped out the remaining townsfolk and leveled the city.

Centuries passed; the tale all but disappeared. By chance, a scholar-adventurer found references to Kara-Khoto in forgotten texts and resolved to mount an expedition. Guided by a local scout, the team reached the ruins, where the Torghout chieftain, Beyle, warned them of strict taboos meant to appease the city’s founding spirits: no campfires, no eating inside the walls, and absolutely no women allowed. As a cautionary tale, the Mongols spoke of a woman who once strayed into the city, discovered a large pearl, and died in a sand-storm moments after leaving; her body, pearl still clutched in her hands, was buried by the dunes.

Excavating a still-intact stupa-mausoleum near the western wall, the researchers uncovered scores of Buddhist silk icons, small statues, and more than 2,000 handwritten books and scrolls. At the center, twenty life-size clay figures stood in a circle on a stone pedestal with a metal pole, facing one another; handwritten pages lay at their feet. In one corner sat a remarkably well-preserved skeleton. Tests showed it was a woman of about fifty—a high-ranking religious figure.

Elsewhere, the team cleared sand from a round stone structure that looked like a gigantic cheese wheel. Its top was carved with concentric circles, spirals, interlaced lines, and cuneiform symbols unlike any found in the manuscripts. Scholars suspect it functioned as both an observatory and a sacrificial altar. In half-collapsed buildings they found fragments of murals showing people beside mythical creatures: two-headed birds, dragons, and fish with human faces.

During the dig, the region was hit by extreme weather: an unprecedented drought and a chain of powerful earthquakes across central Mongolia. Local elders took the events as proof that the spirits were angered by the outsiders, and ordered the expedition halted after villagers complained that the forbidden city had been defiled.

From 100 Cursed Places · Fern Flower Press