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Solidi in China and Monetary Culture Along the Silk Road

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Solidi in China and Monetary Culture Along the Silk Road circumstances were they sent from Solidi in China and Monetary Constantinople? Who carried them to the Far East and for what Culture along the Silk Road purpose? How did the con- temporary Chinese treat these Lin Ying exotics? Zhongshan University, From 1959 to 1977 Xia Nai Guangzhou, China published on these finds three articles in which he examined the chronology and epigraphy of these In the summer of 1953, a group from a seventh-century hoard, the coins and discussed their of archaeologists from the Shanxi others are all from tombs. The significance for studying Byzantine Institute of Historical Relics and tomb occupants who once owned relations with China in the early Archaeology arrived at Dizangwan, these gold coins were of various middle ages [Xia Nai 1959; 1961; a small village near Xianyang city, social classes, ranging from a 1977]. In 1988, the Japanese where they excavated the tomb of princess of the Rouran (Juan-Juan) scholar Otani Nakao examined for Dugu Luo (534-599), a high official qaghanate and leader of the Central Asia and China the burial in the Sui period (581-618). The Central Asian immigrant com- custom of the obolus, that is, the yellow soil yielded a small gold coin munity to a small landlord or coin in the mouth of the deceased [Fig. 1], quite different in wealthy citizen. Their chronology [Otani Nakao 1990]. Whereas Xia Fig. 2. Kaiyuan tongbao, Chinese copper Fig. 1. Solidus of Justin II unearthed at Dizhangwan. coin of the Tang period. appearance from ancient Chinese concentrates in the period of Nai had concluded that the burial coins [Fig. 2]. When it was sent to Northern Dynasties, the Sui and custom of the obolus, which Beijing the following year to display early Tang, i.e. from the late sixth prevailed from the Han to the Tang in a national exhibition of newly century to the first half of the periods in Turfan, Xinjiang, had discovered artifacts, the noted eighth century. These Byzantine originated in inner China, Otani archaeologist and historian Xia Nai gold coins have already raised a argued that it came from Central identified it as a solidus of series of questions deserving Asia. The discussion of these coins Byzantine emperor Justin II (565- further exploration. Under what continued in the 1990s when 578). Although some evidence of Byzantine coins and their imitations had been unearthed in Xinjiang in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries [Thierry and Morrisson 1994, pp. 110-111], the discovery in 1953 was the first such in central China. Since the discovery of that solidus of Justin II nearly fifty Byzantine gold coins and their imitations have been recovered or collected in China. They are distributed from Liaoning, across Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Gansu, Henan and Hebei provinces, to Xinjiang, roughly forming a crescent in north China Fig. 3. Map showing geographical distribution of Byzantine gold coins [Fig. 3]. Except for one gold coin across northern China. © Lin Ying. © 2005 Lin Ying 16 François Thierry and Cecile intermediate links between had entered the heartland of China Morrisson published a detailed Constantinople and Chang’an that from the mid-sixth century to the catalogue of 27 specimens of solidi one can sort out the channels for early seventh century. It is possible and their imitations so far the eastward flow of solidi and thus that the qaghans of the Rouran and unearthed in China [Thierry and understand the role of solidi and Turks obtained these solidi as Morrisson 1994]. In contrast to the their imitations in China. diplomatic gifts from Roman thousands of Sasanian silver coins caesars and then sent them to According to the scholarship so excavated in China, the finds of Chinese emperors to show the far published, the Byzantine gold Byzantine gold coins are limited. hegemony of steppe people in coins and their imitations in China Given this fact, they concluded that Eurasia. fall roughly into three categories: the presence of the solidus in China might not indicate a direct and (1) official solidi struck in The imitations of solidi in the frequent connection between the Constantinople, bearing clear second group embrace a variety of Byzantine Empire and China, but images and legends and specimens. The initial discoveries instead an uncertain relationship. weighing 4.5 grams; of such were by Sven Hedin in Since their article of 1994, (2) imitations of solidi Khotan in 1896 [Montell 1938, pp. additional Byzantine coins and resembling the real ones in 94-95] and by Aurel Stein in the studies of them have been weight and image, whose Astana Cemetary in the Turfan published in Chinese, among them prototypes thus can be estab- region in 1915, where the two the monograph by the present lished; author [Lin Ying 2004]. (3) gold bracteates, In general, before the 1980s, struck on a very most scholars considered these thin flan finds as evidence for the frequent (unstamped connection between Byzantium metal disk) or and China, which could further be with only one associated with the seven visits of die, weighing Fulin (Rum) emissaries recorded in less than 2 Tang literature. After the 1980s, grams, and more and more researchers tended unlikely to have Fig. 5. Imitation of a solidus of Leo I, to connect these gold coins not had a monetary found in Huangzhou. with official embassies but rather function. with the prosperous international trade along Silk Road. In their The first group of coins, i.e. examples were used as oboli in the opinion, it was possibly Sogdians, official solidi, were all buried in mouths of the deceased [Stein rather than Byzantines, who graves from 575 CE (the seventh 1916, p. 205; Thierry and carried these coins to China in year of the Wuping period, Morrission 1994, p. 111; Wang exchange for silk. Clearly the finds Northern Qi Dynasty) to 621 CE 2002, pp. 72, 339; Wang 2004, p. in China are not isolated and can (the fourth year of the Wude 29, fig. 7]. The imitations range be connected with the events along period, Tang Dynasty). Each grave from the barbarized rough contains more than imitations that follow the official one solidus, the solidi in weight and size to greatest number so counterfeits that look quite “real” far recovered being but can be easily recognized by the five specimens their reduced weight and diameter found in the tomb of [Fig. 5]. These finds have raised Tian Hong [Fig. 4; most interesting questions about see also Juliano and the craftsmanship and usage. In Lerner 2001, pp. order to answer these questions, 282-285]. The they need to be compared with owners of these coins similar finds along the entire Silk Fig. 4. Gold solidus of Justin I and Justinian II, 527 were either the Road, from Central Asia, the CE, found in tomb of Tian Hong (d. 575) at Guyuan. emperor’s trusted western steppe, and the eastern Photograph © Luo Feng, used with permission. officials or relatives Mediterranean. the Silk Road in early medieval of the royal family. Furthermore, times. The route by which they the fact that most of the finds are The bracteates of the third traveled to China began in the in tombs located in the group date from the mid-sixth Byzantine Empire. However, it is contemporary political center century to the mid-eighth century only by examining the various indicates that Byzantine gold coins (from late Northern Qi to the mid- 17 version of a (the Western Region, a term Byzantine ruler’s generally denoting countries west portrait also left of Ancient China) continued to its traces in arouse interest in China in Chinese sources of succeeding periods. For example, the Tang period. the Jiu Tangshu, the standard history of Tang written in the tenth If the official century, describes coin from solidi were carried Nepala (today, Nepal): into China as The state of Nepala is in the Fig. 6. Gold bracteate (imitation of a Byzantine solidus), diplomatic west of Tibet…They use copper found in tomb of Shi Suoyan (d. 656; buried 664), near presents and the coins. The frontal image of the Guyuan. Photograph © Luo Yeng, used with permission. bracteates coin is a human figure, while imitating solidi the image on the back side Tang). Hedin found two in Khotan were used for burial offerings by depicts a horse or cattle. The and Stein one at Astana [British Sogdians, how then did people in coin is not pierced [on the Museum n.d.], which is also the the Far East respond to these small central field like Chinese coin]. location of several other such finds. “gold pieces” over a thousand Down to the eleventh century, Indeed, most of the bracteates years ago? What idea did they the account of western coins can have been discovered in Turfan convey to the Chinese people at also be seen in the official history: tombs in Xinjiang and in the that time? graveyard of the Shi family in The coin of Fulin [possibly Guyuan, Ningxia province [Fig. 6; It is notable that most of the referring to the Byzantine see also Juliano and Lerner, 2001, gold coins are pierced once or Empire or the principality pp. 287-288]. They are similar to twice, indicating that they were established by the Seljuk Turks] the bracteates from Sogdiana in once used as pendants of a is made of gold and silver. The weight, size and type [Naymark, necklace or sewn onto clothing coin is not pierced [on the 2001, pp. 99-120; Lin Ying, [Fig.4 above]. The locations of the central field]. On the frontal 2003b]. Moreover, most of the small holes indicate that owners of side is carved the image of Mile tomb occupants in China proper these coins wanted to show the Buddha [possibly a misun- seem to have had a close viewer the obverse, i.e.
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