A military garrison or cultural mixing pot? Renewed investigations at Shichengzi, a Han Dynasty settlement in Xinjiang

Pengfei Sheng,Xiaohong Tian,Michael J Storozum,Yong Wu

doi:10.15184/aqy.2019.229

Pengfei Sheng, Xiaohong Tian + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2019.229

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Abstract

Highlights

Project GalleryA military garrison or cultural mixing pot? Renewed investigations at Shichengzi, a Han Dynasty settlement in Xinjiang
New research on the ancient ‘Silk Road’ is revealing how trade and exchange with peoples living in Central Asia played a pivotal role in supporting both the Roman (27 BC–AD 476) and Han (202 BC–AD 8 & AD 25–220) Empires (Scheidel 2009; Spengler 2019)
These were large, self-sufficient military garrisons at the western fringes of the Han Dynasty’s empire, which served as political, military and economic bulwarks against the agro-pastoral kingdoms of Central Asia (Zhang & Tian 2015). Both the Han Shu (The History of the Former-Han) and the Hou Han Shu (The History of the Latter-Han) briefly reference tuntian settlements (Ban 1962; Fan 2000), specific details about the economy and innerworkings of these frontier towns can only be revealed by archaeological investigations of these ancient settlements

Summary

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A military garrison or cultural mixing pot? Renewed investigations at Shichengzi, a Han Dynasty settlement in Xinjiang. In 101 BC Emperor Han Wu Di (汉武帝) ordered thousands of people to migrate from the North China Plain to establish tuntian (屯田) outposts These were large, self-sufficient military garrisons at the western fringes of the Han Dynasty’s empire, which served as political, military and economic bulwarks against the agro-pastoral kingdoms of Central Asia (Zhang & Tian 2015). Both the Han Shu (The History of the Former-Han) and the Hou Han Shu (The History of the Latter-Han) briefly reference tuntian settlements (Ban 1962; Fan 2000), specific details about the economy and innerworkings of these frontier towns can only be revealed by archaeological investigations of these ancient settlements. What were the interactions between the Han migrants and agropastoralist peoples in the area?

The Shichengzi site

Conclusion