The famous archaeological site of Bamiyan in present day Afghanistan, besides portraying grand achievements of culture and religion, was also the foci for trans migration around the Hindu Kush...Show moreThe famous archaeological site of Bamiyan in present day Afghanistan, besides portraying grand achievements of culture and religion, was also the foci for trans migration around the Hindu Kush region. Between the 5th and 8th centuries, Bamiyan and other adjacent archaeological sites in Central Asia, were connected by a highly developed network of trade. The visual culture of Bamiyan, aside from the two Great Buddhas, suggests there was a necessity to represent ideology and power of the social elite in symbolic ways. At Bamiyan, frescos depict many figures with different type headdresses or crowns. The depiction of these crowns is also found in other archaeological sites and on coins distributed throughout present day Central Asia and China. The details of a headdress or crown suggest characteristics of the social or political identities of the individual or group depicted. The similar type crowns found on figures in other geographical contexts may indicate a degree of interaction between Bamiyan and other religious and trade centers.Show less
Trade is seen by most archaeologist, working with Medieval Southeast Asia, as the main reason for economic development and social interaction. However, through a study of the archaeological and...Show moreTrade is seen by most archaeologist, working with Medieval Southeast Asia, as the main reason for economic development and social interaction. However, through a study of the archaeological and historical material in Cambodia that impression is challenged. The presently known archaeological data in fact suggest that international trade was limited; Chinese ceramics seems to have been restricted, The Kingdom had no currency or standardized values and Cambodian exports are few and only found in the neighboring countries (provinces). The academic emphasis on trade has instead relied on historical sources, however,the interpretation of these seems to be embedded in a post WW II economic theoretical bias (Marxism & Cliometrics). The thesis questions the relevance of modern economic logic in the past and the significance trade had in Medieval Cambodia, both socially and economically.Show less
