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The Silk Roads continue to capture the imagination of the public, and, in 2014, a section of the land routes was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Yet there was no single "Silk Road." Instead, a complex network of trade routes spanned Afro-Eurasia’s mountains, plains, deserts, and seas. From silk to spices, religion to dance, traffic in goods and ideas was crucial to the development of civilizations through rich cultural interactions and economic activity.
Centered around the dramatic landscapes of the Silk Roads, this beautiful volume honors the great diversity of medieval Afro-Eurasian cultures. Each section—from steppe to desert to ocean—includes maps, a historical and archaeological overview and thematic essays by leading scholars worldwide, as well as sidebars showcasing objects that exemplify the art, archaeology and architecture of the Silk Roads.
Centered around the dramatic landscapes of the Silk Roads, this beautiful volume honors the great diversity of medieval Afro-Eurasian cultures. Each section—from steppe to desert to ocean—includes maps, a historical and archaeological overview and thematic essays by leading scholars worldwide, as well as sidebars showcasing objects that exemplify the art, archaeology and architecture of the Silk Roads.
Price: $65.00
Pages: 480
Publisher: University of California Press
Imprint: University of California Press
Publication Date:
01 October 2019
Trim Size: 11.25 X 8.85 in
ISBN: 9780520304185
Format: Hardcover
BISACs:
"An epic new book from traveller and curator Susan Whitfield"
The author of numerous books and articles on the Silk Roads and China, including Life Along the Silk Road and Silk, Slaves, and Stupas, Susan Whitfield is a scholar, curator, writer, lecturer, and traveler of the Silk Roads.
Material culture of the Silk Roads
Contributors
Map
Foreward by Peter Sellers
Introduction by Susan Whitfield
Mapping the Silk Roads
Photography of Central Asia
Steppe
Map
Where the grass meets the sky
Gold from the earth
The "wandering Scythians" and other steppe pastoralists
The steppe and the Chinese world
The steppe and the Iranian world
The steppe and the Roman world
The wings of the Turks: the horse
Stones on the steppe: a mortuary landscape
Belts, daggers and earrings of gold: steppe luxeries
The caftan: fashion across the Silk Roads
Mountains and Highlands
Map
The roof of the world
The Bactrian hoard and other unearthed treasures
Settlers from the steppe: the Kushan, Hephthalites and other empires
Buddhism and Christianity on the Silk Roads
Buddhism and trade: moving eastwards from Gandhara to China
Linked economies: Buddhist monasteries and cities
Christian monasticism in Africa and Asia
Revering the bones of the dead: relic worship in Buddhism and Christianity
More precious than gold: lapis lazuli
Ores the the mountains: mining and metallurgy
Precarious paths and snow-covered summits: traversing the mountains
Sculpting men and gods: influences across Eurasia
Deserts and oases
Map
Hills and valleys of sand
Sand-buried ruins
Oasis kingdoms of the Taklamakan
Arabia: the land of frankincense and myrrh
Canals, qanats and cisterns: water management in desert oases
Camels and caravanserai: traversing the desert
Islam: a new faith on the Silk Roads
Lutes, pipa and ouds: the Silk Road spread of the stringed instrument
Rivers and plains
Map
Arteries of the Silk Roads
Uncovering great cities and temples
Great empires of the Silk Roads
Money and mints
Silkworms and mulberry trees: Silk Road settlers
Complex looms for complex silks
Yarns, textiles and dyes
Paper and printing
Ceramics from Mesopotamia to China
Zoroastrianism: the spread of an ancient religion
Manichaeism: its flourishing and demise
Fruits and nuts across Eurasia
Seas and Skies
Map
Interconnected seas
Treasures from the deep
Travelling the treacherous seas: pirates, storms and sirens
Ships and shipbuilding
Astronomy and navigation
Slavery and servitude in the Indian Ocean
Pirates and slaves on the South China Sea
From beads to bowls: glass production and trade
Importing and working coloured stones in southeast Asia
Judaism in the Indian Ocean world
Spice production and distribution
Bibliography
Contributors' biographies
Picture credits
Index
Contributors
Map
Foreward by Peter Sellers
Introduction by Susan Whitfield
Mapping the Silk Roads
Photography of Central Asia
Steppe
Map
Where the grass meets the sky
Gold from the earth
The "wandering Scythians" and other steppe pastoralists
The steppe and the Chinese world
The steppe and the Iranian world
The steppe and the Roman world
The wings of the Turks: the horse
Stones on the steppe: a mortuary landscape
Belts, daggers and earrings of gold: steppe luxeries
The caftan: fashion across the Silk Roads
Mountains and Highlands
Map
The roof of the world
The Bactrian hoard and other unearthed treasures
Settlers from the steppe: the Kushan, Hephthalites and other empires
Buddhism and Christianity on the Silk Roads
Buddhism and trade: moving eastwards from Gandhara to China
Linked economies: Buddhist monasteries and cities
Christian monasticism in Africa and Asia
Revering the bones of the dead: relic worship in Buddhism and Christianity
More precious than gold: lapis lazuli
Ores the the mountains: mining and metallurgy
Precarious paths and snow-covered summits: traversing the mountains
Sculpting men and gods: influences across Eurasia
Deserts and oases
Map
Hills and valleys of sand
Sand-buried ruins
Oasis kingdoms of the Taklamakan
Arabia: the land of frankincense and myrrh
Canals, qanats and cisterns: water management in desert oases
Camels and caravanserai: traversing the desert
Islam: a new faith on the Silk Roads
Lutes, pipa and ouds: the Silk Road spread of the stringed instrument
Rivers and plains
Map
Arteries of the Silk Roads
Uncovering great cities and temples
Great empires of the Silk Roads
Money and mints
Silkworms and mulberry trees: Silk Road settlers
Complex looms for complex silks
Yarns, textiles and dyes
Paper and printing
Ceramics from Mesopotamia to China
Zoroastrianism: the spread of an ancient religion
Manichaeism: its flourishing and demise
Fruits and nuts across Eurasia
Seas and Skies
Map
Interconnected seas
Treasures from the deep
Travelling the treacherous seas: pirates, storms and sirens
Ships and shipbuilding
Astronomy and navigation
Slavery and servitude in the Indian Ocean
Pirates and slaves on the South China Sea
From beads to bowls: glass production and trade
Importing and working coloured stones in southeast Asia
Judaism in the Indian Ocean world
Spice production and distribution
Bibliography
Contributors' biographies
Picture credits
Index