Silk, Slaves, and Stupas
The publisher and the University of California Press Foundation gratefully acknowledge the generous support of the Constance and William Withey Endowment Fund in History and Music.
Silk, Slaves, and Stupas
MATERIAL CULTURE OF THE SILK ROAD
Susan Whitfield
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS
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University of California Press
Oakland, California
© 2018 by The Regents of the University of California
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Whitfield, Susan, 1960– author.
Title: Silk, slaves, and stupas : material culture of the Silk Road / Susan Whitfiel.
Description: Oakland, California : University of California Press, [2018] | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
Identifiers: LCCN 2018001196 (print) | LCCN 2018002111 (ebook) | ISBN 9780520957664 (e-edition) | ISBN 9780520281776 (cloth : alk. paper) | ISBN 9780520281783 (pbk. : alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Silk Road—History. | Asia—Antiquities. | Material culture—Silk Road.
Classification: LCC DS33.1 (ebook) | LCC DS33.1 .W46 2018 (print) | DDC 950.1—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018001196
27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
CONTENTS
Note on Transliteration and Names
4 • Amluk Dara Stupa
5 • A Bactrian Ewer
6 • A Khotanese Plaque
7 • The Blue Qurʾan
8 • A Byzantine Hunter Silk
9 • A Chinese Almanac
10 • The Unknown Slave
Bibliography
Index
ILLUSTRATIONS
PLATES
1a. The steppe earrings (chapter 1).
1b. The Hellenistic glass bowl (chapter 2).
2. Debra Damo in 2011 (chapter 3).
3. Sacred area and main stupa of Amluk Dara, 2012 (chapter 4).
4. The Bactrian ewer (chapter 5).
5. The Khotanese plaque (chapter 6).
6. A folio of the Blue Qurʾan (chapter 7).
7. The hunter silk (chapter 8).
8. A detail from the Chinese printed almanac (chapter 9).
MAPS
1. Silk Roads by land and sea across Afro-Eurasia.
2. Silk Roads by land in Central and East Asia with places discussed in Chapter 1.
3. Silk Roads across Asia with places discussed in Chapter 2.
4. Silk Roads by land and sea in West Asia with places discussed in Chapter 3.
5. Detail of Silk Road in Central Asia with places discussed in Chapter 4.
6. Silk Roads by land in Central Asia with places discussed in Chapter 6.
7. Silk Roads by land and sea, linking Europe, North Africa and West Asia, with places discussed in Chapter 7.
8. Silk Roads by land through Central Asia with sea routes to in South and East Asia with places discussed in Chapter 9.
FIGURES
1. A reconstruction of the headdress that includes the steppe earrings.
2. The designs on the jade plaques used in the earrings.
3. The design on the belt plaque from grave M2.
4. Structure of crystalline solid, liquid, and amorphous materials.
5. Form of glass bowls found in Hepu and Guixian, South China.
6. Engraving of a wooden boat, from the tomb of the king of Nan Yue.
7. Coin of Wima Kadphises.
8. Tamgha of the Kushan kings used on the coins.
9. Coin of Kaniška I.
10. Coins of Huviškas.
11. Coin of Vasudeva I.
12. Plan of Sanchi
