AHUM 12A00 - Along the silk Road

Structured around twelve lectures, the course examines the Silk Road(s) through distinct geographical and chronological case studies, with particular attention to the relationship between political authority, state formation, imperial and religious expansion and the development of transregional networks.

Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, it draws on archaeology, epigraphy, architecture, textual sources, iconography, economic history, religious studies, and cultural practices to analyse both large-scale historical processes and the everyday experiences of travelers, traders, pilgrims and communities along these routes.

The course places specific emphasis this year on Persia, Sri Lanka, island spaces within the maritime Silk Road, Buddhism, medicine through the example of Tibetan pharmacopoeia and practice and selected archaeological sites such as the Dunhuang caves and Palmyra, thereby highlighting the diversity of political, religious, commercial, and cultural interactions along the Silk road branches.

12 Lectures (2h)

Written exams : midterm (50%) – final exam 50%