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Integral Study of the Silk Roads: Roads of Dialogue, Newsletter

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Integral Study of the Silk Roads: Roads of Dialogue, Newsletter ÍNTEGRAL STUDY OF THE SiLK ROADS; ROADS OF DIALOGUE ÉTUDE INTÉGRALE DES ROUTES DE LA SOIE : ROUTES DE DiALOGUE UNESCO NEWSLETTER Issue No. 3 - April 1993 From the Editor Çf cholars, specialists and artists ofall nationalities have precisely that mysterious cultural alchemy through which a KJ come together to travel the Silk Roads, opened up people absorbs, transforms and assimilates influencesfrom again thanks to UNESCO since 1988, not this time in elsewhere. search ofrare spices, conquests or merchandise but in order The ultimate objective of the Silk Roads Project is to to highlight,from a multidisciplinar)/ viewpoint, that most highlight this dialectic ofgiving and receiving, this redis¬ precious commodity - the dialogue and meeting ofcultures. covery ofproximity. Illuminating the central role played by Already, afterfour international scientific expeditions, the this movement ofpeople, ideas and values in the never- venture has produced a rich and variedyield in theform of ending dialogue between civilizations is an expression, in thirty-five publications, some thirty national documentary cultural terms, of the old law of energy, which states that films, a network ofacademic institutions and several dozen nothing is ever created or destroyed but everything is research scholarships. The Silk Roads Project is thus becom¬ tranformed. The innovative concept of the Roads thus ing a benchmark and a credible frameiiiork for multi- expresses the slow process ofunderlyingforces: ?novement . disciplinary research. encounter ... interaction. Presenting in modem terms, In addition to these practical results, certain concepts - through serious academic research, the fertile concept of weighty in their emotional significance and ofkey impor¬ movement, ofexchanges in the sphere ofideas and values is, tance historically - are beginning to emerge. This is true of in the last analysis, to counter tendencies - old and new - the concept of identity, a vital force but also a cause of towards confinement, enclosure and rejection. oppression and domination, a Janus concept, which can The active co-operation ofscholars and artistsjourney¬ mean both self-affirmation and the denial ofthe other. The ing together along the path towards the rediscovery of a studies carried out under the Project have revealed the long shared heritage, given wider I'esonance by the media ac¬ memory of the Silk Roads, like a slender thread of an companying the expeditions, and providing the basis for ancient dialogue between civilizations, showing that iden¬ joint research leading to publications, could providefertile tity, seen with theperspective ofhistoiy, cannot be viewed as groundfor a genuine meeting ofpeoples, something which a ghetto or an enclosure, but must be achieved and recog¬ is so urgently needed in order to change the spirit ofthe times. nized as a process, a synthesis and an encounter. It expresses D. Diène, Director In this issue... Project News Meetings 2 Expeditions 2 international seminars 4 International research programmes 4 Scliolarstiips 5 Scientific network 6 The Sill( Roads Festival 6 Publications 7 Media 8 Associated Projects Programme 9 Countiynews 9 Acknowledgements 10 Map of Expeditions 12 Project address UNESCO, 7, Place de Fontenoy, 75700 Paris Tei.: (33.1)45 68 18 14'45 6818 12 Telegram: Unesco Paris Telex: 204461 Paris Telefax: (33.1) 42 73 16 88 ©The Project logo was designed by the UNESCO Graphic Unit and symbolizes the on and Maritime route expedition. International seminar 'China land and sea routes (in yellow and blue) the Maritime Routes of the Silk Roads', Quanzhou (China), February 1991. forming the letters S and R of Silk Roads. Photo: UNESCO/Silk Roads PROJECT NEWS MEETINGS to retrace the ancient Silk Routes, UNESCO by His Majesty Sultan working with local scholars in the Qaboos bin Said of Oman, retraced field in order to widen the scope of the Maritime Route from Venice April 1992 in New Delhi. At the their studies and to further scholarly (Italy) to Osaka (Japan), calling at invitation of the Government of research in disciplines relating to the twenty-one ports en route. The India, the International Consultative Project. The personal contacts made Steppe Route Expedition in 1991 Committee held its third meeting contribute to the setting up of lasting crossed five Central Asian Republics: during which members assessed the institutional relations between Turkmenistan; Uzbekistan, implementation of the programme members of the academic communi¬ Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and since the previous meeting in Bagh¬ ties of the participating countries. Kazakhstan. dad (March 1990). Working groups The expeditions also provide an The fourth expedition followed the were formed which smdied in detail opportunity to broaden knowledge of Nomads' Route in Mongolia in all aspects of the programme and the culmral identity, heritage and July-August 1992. An international made recommendations regarding living arts of the countries visited, scientific team composed of forty-four famre activities. The Committee seen in the light of a wider specialists from twenty-three different expressed its gratimde to the Govern¬ interculmral dialogue and a common countries, and eleven scholars from ment of India and the Archaeological heritageJThey generate not only the Academy of Sciences of Mongolia, Survey of India for hosting the sÊréntific programmes and research, travelled some 3000 km along the meeting and for organizing a pro¬ but also publications, magazines and nomad trails from Khobdo in the gramme enabling members to meet documentary films for both specialists Altai mountains, eastwards to the Indian scholars from the National and the general public, thanks to wide capital Ulan Bator. Their objective Museum and the Indira Gandhi coverage by the international media. was to study in situ the civilization of Centre for the Arts and to visit Participating scholars consider the the nomads of this area of the Silk historic sites in Delhi and Agra. concept of expeditions to be particu¬ Roads, known as The Empire ofthe larly appropriate in view of their Steppe, the expansion of which many concrete nature and multi-disciplinary centaries ago had such lasting conse¬ 29 June to 1 July 1992 in Paris. Consultative meeting on the creation approach. In addition, they enable quences for the history of Eurasia. of an International Institute of international teams to visit areas Twenty-eight lectores and discussions Central Asian Studies, recommended which might otherwise be restricted took place en route, and the team by the International Scientific Team or to which access might be difficult. members visited some thirty-three of the Steppe Route Expedition in Since 1990, there have been four cultoral, archaeological and natoral 1991. The aims of this Institute are international expeditions: The first on sites, monuments, monasteries and a) to refocus the attention of the the Desert Route in China, from museums. The programme enabled international community on this key Xian to Kashgar, took place in July/ the team to see many aspects of the region, underlining both the impor¬ August 1990. From October 1990 to traditional cultore and way of life of tance of its historic legacy and its March 1991 die 'Eulk al Salamah' the nomads such as music, dance, contemporary and future role; b) to (Ship of Peace), graciously loaned to games, animal rearing, as well as the encourage closer collaboration between Central Asian academics and those of other countries. The first International Congress on Cultural and Scientific Cooperation in Central Asia (Tehran, 14-18 November 1992) proposed that, in order to set up the Instimte rapidly, consultations to determine its nature, funding and location, as well as to define its scientific programmes, should be held with the academic communities and authorities of countries of the region, and other interested Member States. EXPEDITIONS The expeditions constitute, in the opinion of the participants, the most original way of implementing scien- ! tifically the Silk Roads Project, and \ illustrate its innovative approach in the field of international intellecmal cooperation. Eor the first time, UNESCO has enabled Steppe route expedition. Work on the archaeological site of Shrakrakhiya multidisciplinary teams of specialists (Uzbekistan), May 1991. Photo: Molenaar/UNESCO/Silk Roads Caravan of nomads (Mongolia), July 1992. Photo: Baumard/UNESCO/Silk Roads making of dairy products and felt, and (Sanghol)-Lahore-Manikyala-Taxila- the construction oigers. Participants Attock-Shahbazgarhi-Peshawar SOIVIE FACTS AND attended the inauguration of three (Swat)-Jalalabad (Hadda)-Kabul- exhibitions on the nomadic civiliza¬ Bamiyan-Termez-Takht-Sanginvia- FIGURES ON THE tion of Mongolia in Khobdo, at the Dushanbe-Pamir-Kashgar-Yarkand- EXPEDITIONS TO DATE Monastery of Erdene Zu, and at the Khotan-Niya-Dunhuang. An interna¬ Cultoral Centre of Ulan Bator. The tional seminar is foreseen in each of Expedition ended in Ulan Bator with the six countries. international seminars: 24 an international seminar from 3-5 The Western Desert Route from August on the theme The No?nads of Papers given: 407 Merv (Turkmenistan) to Istanbul Central Asia and the Silk Roads. The (Turkey) in 1994, through Iran, Iraq, Scientific lectures and first of the thirty-seven papers was and Syria. debates: 241 given by Prof. Sh. Bira (Mongolia) on The Mongol Empire (13th-14th centu¬ The East Africa Route linking Visits to sites, monuments ries): East-West relations. A
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