scholarly journals Ancient Texts and Languages of Ethnic Groups along the Silk Road

2021 ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 298-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Yu. Endoltseva

The article studies the Alan-Abkhazian cultural contacts by analyzing architectural decorations of these peoples. Actuality of the study is determined by considering the architectural decorations as a cultural marker of Abkhazians and Alans in the period of the 8th—10th centuries. This point of consideration is primarily important for studying the material culture of the ethnic groups living in close proximity to the route of the Silk Road, which is regarded as a powerful catalyst for cultural exchange between the numerous tribes and peoples each having its own unique and diverse artistic skills. The article compares a number of artifacts: some fragments of the altar barrier from Anacopia (Republic of Abkhazia, New Athos) and some fragments of the altar barrier from the Ilyichevskoe Hillfort (Krasnodar Region, Otradnensky District). This allows the author to state that there existed common ornamental schemes in the monumental art of those peoples in the period preceding the 13th—14th centuries. The article analyzes the patterns and zoomorphic images of “animals in a heraldic pose” from the church on Mount Lashkendar (Republic of Abkhazia, Tkuarchalsky District), and a dog from the Alan tomb of the Kyafarskoe Hillfort (Karachay-Cherkess Republic, Zelenchuksky District), providing additional arguments for the animals’ identifi cation. The author explores the system of images of the Alan tomb to determine the semantics of the dog’s image in the Christian church’s decoration and comes to the conclusion that the symbolism of the dog’s image originates from pre-Christian beliefs (namely, those Zoroastrian). The article emphasizes the fruitfulness of studying the Alan-Abkhazian contacts using the example of architectural decoration: it makes possible to identify some images and specify their dates. The author offers a variant of identifi cation of the relief from Mount Lashkendar; defi nes the place of this unique monument in the course of formation of the original artistic culture of the Abkhazian Kingdom; notes the heterogeneous infl uences on this process, coming both from the territories of different regions of the Byzantine Empire (Constantinople, Cappadocia, etc.) and from Transcaucasia (Armenia, Georgia). The Alan-Abkhazian layer of cultural contacts is highlighted.


Afghanistan ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-194
Author(s):  
Warwick Ball

The Silk Road as an image is a relatively new one for Afghanistan. It appeals to both the pre-Islamic and the perceived Islamic past, thus offering an Islamic balance to previous identities linked to Bamiyan or to the Kushans. It also appeals to a broader and more international image, one that has been taken up by many other countries. This paper traces the rise of the image of the Silk Road and its use as a metaphor for ancient trade to encompass all contacts throughout Eurasia, prehistoric, ancient and modern, but also how the image has been adopted and expanded into many other areas: politics, tourism and academia. It is argued here that the origin and popularity of the term lies in late 20th century (and increasingly 21st century) politics rather than any reality of ancient trade. Its consequent validity as a metaphor in academic discussion is questioned


Author(s):  
V. Zubenko ◽  
A. Massalimova

The accelerated economic development of China in recent decades has allowed it to accumulate the potential to multiply its influence in Eurasia and initiate a number of ambitious political and economic projects designed for the long term. The most important of these are the concepts of the Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB) and the 21st Century Marine Silk Road (UWB), put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping in autumn 2013 and subsequently combined under the title "One Belt — one way" as the strategy of China’s foreign economic policy, at least until 2022. Another factor behind the emergence of the SREB concept is the change in China’s foreign economic paradigm and its transition from a country attracting foreign direct investment to a donor country. Therefore, industrial cooperation is an important part of the SREB. In the negotiations of the EAEU countries with China on the integration of the EAEU and the SREB, it is necessary to take into account the interests of the industrial development of the EAEU countries, as well as the possible economic, political, operational and environmental risks that the process of interfacing with the SREB entails. It is necessary that the industrial cooperation of the EAEU countries and China be based on the principles of equality and mutual benefit.


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