Ai Khanum in the face of Eurasian globalization
This paper reassesses the material culture of Ai Khanum, the most
important site of Hellenistic-period Bactria, from a translocal
globalisation approach. While ‘Hellenism’ is a commonly cited
explanation for cultural change in what is often referred to as ‘The Far
East’, it begs the question how particular cultural elements were used
and perceived socially on the ground. In rethinking Ai Khanum’s cultural
features in the face of ancient globalisation processes that made
Eurasia a smaller world, this paper opts for a more dynamic approach to
cultural interaction in Hellenistic-period Central Asia by arguing that
re-contextualised cultural elements may have served to act out multiple
(trans)local identities according to the social sphere.
Facts
- Author:
- Regions:
- Central Asia
- Published:
- A4 Pages:
- 26
- Download Size:
- 1 MB
- Estimated Reading Time:
- 01:05 h