TY - JOUR

T1 - Genesis of the silk road and its northern directions

AU - Shulga, Petr I.

AU - Shulga, Daniil P.

AU - Hasnulina, Karina A.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © Siberian Federal University. All rights reserved

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - This article argues that the conclusions in the prevailing modern scientific literature on the formation of the Great Silk Road 3rd‑2nd millennium BC or from the 4th‑3rd centuries BC cannot be considered reasonable in light of available scientific and archival evidence. Until the 3rd‑2nd centuries BC at the western and northern borders of Xinjiang Region the predominantly Caucasoid population of Xinjiang contacted the related cultures of Kazakhstan and Sayano‑Altai, but did not have any noticeable or documented trade (exchange) connections with the eastern Mongols of the Gansu Corridor, nor with farmers of ancient China and nomads of Northern China. Significant migrations of the population from Xinjiang to China and in the opposite direction between the third and the first half of the 1st millennium BC according to the available archaeological records has not been observed. The Silk Road from China through Xinjiang to the west with the direct involvement of the Chinese, only begins to function in the 1st century BC, and then only when the Han Empire at great cost finally succeeded in pushing the Hunnu out of Xinjiang, and established control over this territory. This event was preceded by active trade relations between the northern kingdoms of China and the nomads of Southern Siberia in the 4th and 3rd centuries BC and the delivery of the gifts to the Huns from the Han Dynasty in the 2nd century BC. This enabled silk and varnish products to penetrate Southern Siberia, Central Asia and then back into Xinjiang.

AB - This article argues that the conclusions in the prevailing modern scientific literature on the formation of the Great Silk Road 3rd‑2nd millennium BC or from the 4th‑3rd centuries BC cannot be considered reasonable in light of available scientific and archival evidence. Until the 3rd‑2nd centuries BC at the western and northern borders of Xinjiang Region the predominantly Caucasoid population of Xinjiang contacted the related cultures of Kazakhstan and Sayano‑Altai, but did not have any noticeable or documented trade (exchange) connections with the eastern Mongols of the Gansu Corridor, nor with farmers of ancient China and nomads of Northern China. Significant migrations of the population from Xinjiang to China and in the opposite direction between the third and the first half of the 1st millennium BC according to the available archaeological records has not been observed. The Silk Road from China through Xinjiang to the west with the direct involvement of the Chinese, only begins to function in the 1st century BC, and then only when the Han Empire at great cost finally succeeded in pushing the Hunnu out of Xinjiang, and established control over this territory. This event was preceded by active trade relations between the northern kingdoms of China and the nomads of Southern Siberia in the 4th and 3rd centuries BC and the delivery of the gifts to the Huns from the Han Dynasty in the 2nd century BC. This enabled silk and varnish products to penetrate Southern Siberia, Central Asia and then back into Xinjiang.

KW - Early nomads

KW - Han

KW - Pazyryk culture

KW - Saka

KW - Scythians

KW - Southern Siberia

KW - The Silk Road

KW - Xinjiang

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85114401238&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=46470777

U2 - 10.17516/1997-1370-0807

DO - 10.17516/1997-1370-0807

M3 - Review article

AN - SCOPUS:85114401238

VL - 14

SP - 1167

EP - 1180

JO - Journal of Siberian Federal University - Humanities and Social Sciences

JF - Journal of Siberian Federal University - Humanities and Social Sciences

SN - 1997-1370

IS - 8

M1 - 5

ER -