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University of California Press

Silk Roads

Peoples, Cultures, Landscapes
by Susan Whitfield (Editor)
Hardcover
Publication Date: Oct 2019
Edition: 1st Edition
Title Details:
Rights: Include United States, Canada
Pages: 480
ISBN: 9780520304185
Trim Size: 8.85 x 11.25
Illustrations: 450 color and 200 b/w images
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About the Book

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.
 

About the Author

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.

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Table of Contents

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

Reviews

"An epic new book from traveller and curator Susan Whitfield"
— Geographical, The Royal Geographic Society
"Silk Roads: People, Cultures, Landscapes is a wonderful addition to the literature on what is a huge subject—and rather like an old-fashioned encyclopedia."
— South China Morning Post
"It is a joy to wander through almost 500 pages of stunning photographs illustrating the landscapes, people and cultures of the Silk Road . . . . and to read information that is up to date, accurate and readable"
— British Museum Magazine
"This beautiful publication honors the astonishing diversity in the way cultures advance and flourish not in spite of their differences, but because of them." 
— Antiques Diary
"A superbly illustrated volume written by 80 scholars who, in short essays, tell the millennia-long story of the historic trade routes that criss-cross half the world, from Asia to Europe. The huge variety of the travelers and the merchandise along these complex trajectories is handsomely laid out in this delightful, informative and continually surprising work." 2019 Books of the Year
— Arts Desk
“A vividly illustrated tome traces the cultural impacts of the Silk Road. . . . A treasure house of fascinating images and hard-won knowledge.”
— Science
"Here is a lovely coffee table book on the Silk Roads, with splendid illustrations of maps, objects, peoples, arts and crafts, architecture, and landscapes. . . . [Whitfield] adds to her earlier contributions."
— Journal of Historical Geography
"The many magnificent illustrations make one long to go travelling." 2019 Books of the Year
— The Spectator
"Silk Roads is a book to experience, rather than read . . . Beautiful, fascinating, simultaneously erudite and accessible."
— Asian Review of Books
"Sections on Christian monasticism in Africa and Asia and the emergence of lapis lazuli make compelling reading. At a time when global politics and economy are hit by uncertainty, this book emphasises how movement and exchange fostered economic activity and cultural and political ideas."
— Arts Society
"Stunning maps and artifacts combine with evocative landscapes as well as troubling tales of plunder, serving as a timely reminder of the rich rewards of meaningful communication and candid cultural exchange within and between the continents." 
— Traveller
"The value of this sumptuous book lies not in its decorative coffee-table desirability but because it serves to remind us that human difference and interaction is vitally necessary for progress. In an era marked by international wall-building and little compassion towards refugees and migrants, we would do well to remember this."
— World of Interiors
"A beautifully illustrated, impressive publication. There is a wealth of materials and new ideas among its pages that will undoubtedly delight, intrigue, challenge, and inspire future research."
— Oriental Ceramic Society Newsletter