The silk roads of the Northern Tibetan plateau during the early middle ages (from the Han to Tang dynasty) as reconstructed from archaeological and written sources [Elektronische Ressource] / submitted by Tao Tong

THE SILK ROADS OF THE NORTHERN TIBETAN PLATEAU DURING THE EARLY MIDDLE AGES (FROM THE HAN TO TANG DYNASTY) AS RECONSTRUCTED FROM ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND WRITTEN SOURCES Dissertation for obtaining the degree Doctor of Philosophy The Faculty of Culture Sciences The Eberhard-Karls University of Tübingen Submitted by Tao Tong from China 2008 Gedruckt mit Genehmigung der Fakultät für Kulturwissenschaften der Universität Tübingen Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Ernst Pernicka PD Dr. Mayke Wagner Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: 19. November 2008 Dekan: Prof. Dr. Jürgen Leonhardt CONTENTS List of Abbreviations…………………………………………………………………...…page v List of Tables…………………………………………………………………..…………..….vii List of Maps………………………………………………………………………………….viii List of Figures………………………………………………………………………..……..…ix Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………….xxvi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………..1 1.1 About the concepts of the Silk Road and a brief history of research on the Silk Road on the northern Tibetan Plateau…………………………………………....1 1.1.1 About the Silk Road……………………………….…………………..1 1.1.2 Previous studies on transport routes on the northern Tibetan Plateau………….…………………………………………………………….3 1.1.3 Previous studies on the cultural history of the northern Tibetan Plateau…………….……………………………………...…………………..6 1.2 Goals of this research…………………………………...………………………..