This paper provides a preliminary critical review of current academia as it regards contact between the Roman Empire and Han imperial China, during roughly the 3rd century B.C.E. until the 3rd...Show moreThis paper provides a preliminary critical review of current academia as it regards contact between the Roman Empire and Han imperial China, during roughly the 3rd century B.C.E. until the 3rd century C.E., with the purpose of re-evaluating currently accepted facts on the basis of archaeological case studies. Archaeological case studies on the topics of Roman glass, coins, and cloth found in or en route to Han China were examined against a background of ancient written sources and modern academic writing on the topic of the ancient Silk Road network and contact between the Roman Empire and Han China. The results show Roman glass items found together with locally produced glass from coastal sites in southeast China and the Xinjiang area. Quite a few metal pendants imitating Roman coins were found in sites along the coasts of Thailand and Vietnam, particularly the Isthmus of Khra. A genuine Roman coin used as a pendant in a similar fashion was also found in Pangkung Paruk on the island of Bali. Cloth from Xiongnu tombs displaying both Hellenic and Han Chinese style elements was also found in the Xinjiang area. These finds shed light on the nature of interaction between the Roman Empire and Han China, and the objects that made the entire journey in all likelihood more often than people did. Most importantly, they contribute to the larger framework of exchange and interaction along the Silk Road network, and fill in some blanks in an often-neglected region of this topic. The need for further (re-)examination of such finds is evident.Show less
The Xiongnu have long been disregarded, thinking that they played no active part within world history. This thesis aims to shed light on Xiongnu trade and its cultural impact on their culture by...Show moreThe Xiongnu have long been disregarded, thinking that they played no active part within world history. This thesis aims to shed light on Xiongnu trade and its cultural impact on their culture by means of three detailed case studies, which are placed against a theoretical background that involves globalization theory. These case studies focus on one material group (textile, metal or lacquerware) and a burial mound from a different cemetery each (Noyon Uul, Gol Mod 2, Tsaraam Valley), in order to approach the following big questions: To which degree was trade present between the Xiongnu and other cultures and how that is reflected in their material culture? How large an influence are the Chinese dynasties on Xiongnu culture? Did the local Xiongnu culture remain standing despite influences from the outside? The first case study, following a chapter discussing globalization theory and its application itself, examines textile finds from mound 22 of Noyon Uul. The designs, materials and dyes will be analysed, resulting in data that reveals foreign origin of whole objects or some of the raw materials. The second case study comprises of an analysis of the metal finds found within mound 1 of the Gol Mod 2 cemetery. These metal finds all stem from Han style chariots, though the production techniques of the metal (iron and bronze) show that these chariot components were likely locally made by Xiongnu peoples instead. Lastly, the third case study concerns a lacquer box retrieved from mound 7 of the Tsaraam Valley. This lacquer box bears a Chinese inscription and shows other signs of being a product made with diplomatic purposes in mind as well. The chapter following the case studies discusses what implications the findings of the case studies actually have in regard to globalisation and trade. The textiles and the metal finds reveal that foreign elements have been adopted and sometimes have been adapted to fit Xiongnu culture better. The lacquer box reinforces the idea that the Xiongnu received goods from the Chinese in accordance with treaties between the two empires. Though the overall scale of this research is rather small, it provides a nice picture of how dynamic trade on the steppes likely has been, which contrasts the old notion that the Xiongnu were passive barbarians that slowly Sinicized.Show less
