presented by FIRES (FEZANA Information Research Education System)

Silk Roads: Peoples, Cultures, Landscapes
by Susan Whitfield (Editor)
University of California Press, 2019
ISBN: 9780520304185

The Silk Roads continue to capture the public’s imagination, and, in 2014, a section of the land routes was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Yet there was no single “Silk Road.” Instead, a complex network of trade routes spanned Afro-Eurasia’s mountains, plains, deserts, and seas. From silk to spices, religion to dance, traffic in goods and ideas was crucial to the development of civilizations through rich cultural interactions and economic activity. Centered around the Silk Roads’ dramatic landscapes, this beautiful volume honors medieval Afro-Eurasian cultures’ great diversity. Each section—from steppe to desert to the ocean—includes maps, a historical and archaeological overview, thematic essays by leading scholars worldwide, and sidebars showcasing objects that exemplify the art, archaeology, and architecture of the Silk Roads. Silk Roads is comprehensive in scope and structure, made up of several dozen short essays by many different authors, each lavishly illustrated with indescribable photos of objects and places.

###

FEZANA Information, Research and Education System (FIRES) is a centralized collection of books, manuscripts, literature, magazines, and scholarly research materials in print and electronic form, primarily pertaining to Zarathushti faith, culture, and history.

FIRES was established in 2010, and is housed and managed by the Zoroastrian Association of Houston (ZAH) Library. It is accessible by all FEZANA Associations and individuals.

www.fires-fezana.org