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52 IIAYDEN : GEOLOGY OF NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN. 



puzzling, for only one of them is Fusulina limestone, whilst the other two 

 are full of nummulites ! I saw no trace of nummulitic limestone in this 

 neighbourhood, but it is of course possible that it may occur to the 

 south of the Shibar pass. This does not seem very probable, however, 

 since such Tertiary beds as have been observed in Ghorband and Bamian 

 are all shales, clays and conglomerates of estuarine or fluviatile original 

 and probably much younger than nummulitic. Perhaps the association 

 of the two different rocks under one number was due to accidental 

 mixing of specimens. 



Bamian. 



From Shumbal the Fusulina limestone extends to within about a 

 Shumbal to Balula and mile of Balula. It is rather massive above and 

 Topchi. thin-bedded below. It has been intensely folded 



(Plate 9), and its great apparent thickness is no doubt partly due to 

 constant repetition. At the lower end of the gorge, the limestone 

 contains Schwagerina princeps Ehr., Neoschwagerina craticulifera 

 Schwager and N. (Sumatrma) anna Volz. At about a mile above 

 Balula, the valley opens out slightly, and the prevailing rock is crushed 

 and faulted limestone with some slate. At and below Balula intrusive 

 serpentine occurs in great quantity. 



Beyond Balula the road to Bamian turns to the south, and, after 

 passing through another deep gorge which traverses the Fusulina 

 limestone, emerges at Kaoshandas on to a belt of shale and conglo- 

 merate. I took these rocks at first for a crushed and indurated facies 

 of the Tertiary beds of Ghorband, but subsequent acquaintance with 

 the Red Grit and plant-bearing series of Saighan has left little doubt 

 in my mind that the Kaoshandas beds belong to these series and not 

 to the Tertiary ; unfortunately I had no opportunity of revisiting the 

 area, and was unable to verify this. The conglomerate extends for a 

 considerable distance and spreads over the Kashka pass ; a very large 

 percentage of the component pebbles are hematite, derived no doubt 

 from the hematite bed which, towards the south, is not far off in the 

 Koh-i-Baba. 



