Ancient Near East Research Articles

On the Classical Principles and Contemporary Practices of Taoist Female Worship

Facing growing contemporary crises, many scholars turn to ancient eastern religions and goddess civilizations as a means of culture root-seeking. As one of the origins of Chinese civilization, Taoist female worship (道教女性崇拜) shows profound eastern wisdom and feminine philosophy on human–nature, human–human, and human–self relationships. From feminist perspectives, this paper traces the origin and development of Taoist female worship and elaborates its classical principles—Qiwu (齊物) theory, Zhuyin (主陰), and Xujing (虛靜). On this basis, this paper discusses the contemporary practices of Taoist female worship’s classical principles—thingness re-enchantment (物性復魅), harmony world (和諧世界), and self-cultivation (修身養性)—and illuminates their realistic significance: rethinking ethical relationships, establishing efficient ethics, and helping people to resolve crises.

APPROACHES TO THE MIGRATION OF YUEZHI TRIBES TO BACTRIA AND THE EMERGENCE OF THE KUSHAN STATE

This article analyzes the data of Chinese written sources, archaeological and numismatic materials concerning the conditions of the emergence of the Kushan state. Which occupied an important place in the development of ancient Eastern civilization, and issues related to the migration of nomadic pastoral tribes of Yuezhi, which played a central role in its formation, their settlement of the northern Bactrian lands and the formation of the Kushan state.

Composition Analysis and Subclass Division of Ancient Glass Artifacts Based on R-Q Type Clustering

The Silk Road served as a conduit for cultural exchange between ancient East and West, with glass being a valuable material evidence of early trade interactions. Archaeologists have classified ancient glassware primarily into two categories: high-potassium glass and lead-barium glass. This study focuses on the sub-classification of high-potassium glass. Firstly, the high-potassium glass is divided into two major categories, weathered and unweathered, based on their weathering properties. Subsequently, the R-Q clustering algorithm is employed to further subdivide the unweathered high-potassium glasswhile the same approach is applied to the weathered high-potassium glass. The results are validated through rational analysis and can be applied to other types of ancient glassware.

Myths, Science, and Literature – Different Fields, the Same Essence

Abstract The present study aims at analysing the relationship and establishing the similarities between ancient Eastern myths, literature, and today’s leading scientific views such as quantum physics. In ancient times, the mythic worldview was the only one being widely accepted, a dominancy that lasted up into, roughly put, the mid-nineteenth century, when most sciences as known today started to flourish and overtook the place of mythology, invalidating it. Nowadays, however, ancient myths and modern sciences have begun getting closer to each other and, at a deep insight, one may discover that they reveal the same truth. Thus, the paper shall discuss and compare ancient Buddhist texts with leading quantum theories and literary works by Béla Hamvas and Sándor Weöres that facilitate the comprehension of the essence.1

삼국시대 동경 부장의 의미

In ancient East Asia, bronze mirrors were objects that enabled their creators and users to reflect their perceptions. Each ancient East Asian society interpreted and utilized the mirrors differently according to their needs.
 Instead of simply perceiving the Three Kingdoms Period’s bronze mirrors, especially Han-style bronze mirrors and Japanese bronze mirrors, as foreign artifacts, this paper aims to delve into the significance of the bronze mirrors in the Korean Peninsula during that time and examine how they were received and utilized by different communities.
 Southern Korean Peninsula during the 4th~6th centuries, which were part of the Three Kingdoms Period, is first sorted into five regions based on topography, water systems, and political entities. Next, the excavated context of bronze mirrors from each region is examined to study how these mirrors were buried and disposed of. The significance of bronze mirrors within ancient East Asian societies is, then, used as a reference to infer the importance of the mirrors within Korean communities during the Three Kingdoms Period.
 In conclusion, bronze mirrors were not in high demand within various Three Kingdoms Period societies on the Korean Peninsula unlike within the societies that existed in other parts of ancient East Asia. Furthermore, each society on the Korean Peninsula interpreted and utilized bronze mirrors in a unique way that aligned with its specific needs. This was dissimilar to practices observed in other ancient East Asian societies.
 The way an object is perceived varies from person to person. Sometimes, perceptions of objects are shared, reproduced, and diffused throughout societies. At other times, the perceptions slowly fade away. Through examining bronze mirrors, this paper demonstrates that a type of object can be received and utilized in diverse ways depending on the context of time and space.

The Population of Laodicea ad Mare in Roman Times: The Structure and Vectors of Development

This article considers the social structure of Laodicea ad Mare between the second half of the 1st century A.D. and the 4th century A.D., i.e., from the beginning of the Roman rule in Syria to the time before the Islamic conquest of the region. The study relies primarily on data from epigraphic writings (such as tomb inscriptions, dedicatory texts, and signatures), as well as on narrative materials and the corpus of Roman law, which are used as additional sources. The evolution of the family institution and the property relations within Laodicean families is analyzed. A portrait of the free citizens of Laodicea who were engaged in handicrafts, especially in the textile industry, is compiled. The life of the city’s rabble is traced. The status, structure, and financial capabilities of the propertied aristocracy are described. Its impact on public life is discussed. Information is provided about the residence of Roman citizens in Laodicea and their activities and influence on the civic community of the city. The results obtained show that the social processes in Laodicea correspond to the basic trends of urban development in Late Antiquity and that this was the period when the social conflict within the Laodicean community intensified. The findings may be useful for students of history faculties and for researchers interested in the history of the Roman Empire and the Near East in Antiquity.

Exploring mudbrick architecture and its re-use in Artaxata, Armenia, during the 1st millennium BC. A multidisciplinary study of earthen architecture in the Armenian Highlands.

Mudbrick constructions are extremely common in ancient western Asia, including the 1st millennium structures of the southern Caucasus and Armenian highlands. However, in the Caucasus the geoarchaeological study of these materials to provide insight into building practices and social structure is a topic little researched, especially when focusing on the longue durée. Artashat/Artaxata (Ararat region, Armenia) was the capital of the Armenian Kingdom of the Artaxiads, founded in the eighties of the 2nd century BC, but even before this the site was occupied in the Chalcolithic period, (ca. 5200-3500 BC), Early Iron Age (ca. 1200-900 BC) and in the Urartian period (ca. 800-600 BC) as well. All the previous occupation phases showed communities that made extensive use of earthen constructions as determined during past and recent archaeological excavations. This multidisciplinary study seeks to examine mudbrick architecture as a proxy for environmental and social interactions during the 1st millennium BC combining geoarchaeology, archaeobotany and building archaeology. We analyzed changes and continuities in architectural form and practices, alongside reconstruction of technological and social processes, to identify issues of raw material procurement, attestation of re-use, and consistency of building practices. The results of the geoarchaeological analysis of the earthen building materials used in different parts of the ancient city point to a re-use of materials over time.

Bioarchaeological data reveal cycles of violence in the ancient Middle East.

Bioarchaeological data reveal cycles of violence in the ancient Middle East.

Rome, Parthia, and the Politics of Peace: The Origins of War in the Ancient Middle East by Jason M. Schlude (review)

Rome, Parthia, and the Politics of Peace: The Origins of War in the Ancient Middle East by Jason M. Schlude (review)

Rome, Parthia, and the Politics of Peace: The Origins of War in the Ancient Middle East by Jason M. Schlude (review)

Rome, Parthia, and the Politics of Peace: The Origins of War in the Ancient Middle East by Jason M. Schlude (review)

The Service of Chivalries Throughout History in Relation to Pandemics and Wars

The first orders of knights were formed in the royal courts in the late Middle Ages. When the ancient eastern Christian centres had all fallen following the conquests of the Seljuk Turks, by the end of the 11th century, Rome and Western Christianity were forced to take action. During the First Crusade, the first ecclesiastical orders were established on the model of monastic orders. Their creation was not a spontaneous process, but a conscious undertaking, for the members of these orders were also capable of performing tasks which an average soldier would not. It was then that the figure of the Christian warrior who fought against the conquering Islam was formed in order to liberate the Holy Land, who later became an example to many.2 The Crusades were consecrated as military campaigns by the Church, in which the ideal of the Christian soldier gained heroic character. The new orders uniquely combined military and monastic virtues.3 In this article, we examine the role of the Hospitallers (Johannites), the Templars, the Order of the German Knights and the Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem in the light of the circumstances in which they were formed and their role in today’s armed and pandemic conflicts.

Exploring a New Methodology for Studying Korean Ancient History Using Network Analysis: Focusing on negotiation data from the Eastern Jin and Sixteen Kingdoms to the Song and Northern Wei period

Network analysis is a methodology that helps understand complex phenomena by visualizing member interactions. In the context of Eastern Jin, Sixteen Kingdoms, Song, Northern Wei period, network analysis can shed light on the position of Paekche and Koguryŏ by analyzing negotiation networks. While existing studies have focused on negotiations between these states and China, few have visualized the entire negotiation network or compared the positions of Paekche and Koguryŏ within the broader East Asian network. This paper explores the network analysis methodology for ancient East Asian negotiation data and conducts a pilot analysis of specific periods.</br>The methodology for applying network analysis to ancient history involves several steps, including evaluating its suitability, quantifying the data, verifying data reliability, and analyzing and visualizing the data. Limitations of using network analysis to study ancient history include obtaining sufficient data and verifying data reliability. Ancient East Asian negotiation data is relatively more abundant than other records, making it a good candidate for network analysis. However, because negotiation data is recorded from the perspective of various actors, it is essential to verify the reliability of the data by ancient history researchers.</br>This paper theoretically analyzes the negotiation data of the Eastern Jin, Sixteen Kingdoms, Song, and Northern Wei periods. The negotiation network analysis reveals that Eastern Jin is the most centralized country, with Koguryŏ actively engaging in negotiations and Paekche focusing on diplomacy with Eastern Jin. The centrality analysis on the negotiation frequency data during Song and Northern Wei period shows that the Song and Northern Wei had the highest centrality in negotiation frequency among 28 countries, with Koguryŏ, Tuyuhun, and Paekche also prominent. The negotiation route analysis reveals the flow of information, with the Song having the highest betweenness centrality, Koguryŏ serving as a conduit to Shilla, and Paekche controlling the route to Mahan, Kaya, and Wa. Paekche plays a crucial role as a conduit between various regions, despite having lower centrality than Koguryŏ.</br>In conclusion, this paper explored the methodology of applying network analysis to ancient East Asian negotiation data and attempted to understand the structural structure of ancient East Asian negotiation networks by analyzing negotiation data from a specific time period.

Extensive Review of State-of-the-Art Classification Techniques for Cuneiform Symbol Imaging: Open Issues and Challenges

The cuneiform script reveals some previously unknown aspects of our past. However, reading ancient clay tablets demands a substantial investment of time and persistent practice over a long period of time. As the fourth millennium came to a close, earlier recording methods gave way to the development of writing – the visual representation of spoken language. The first language to be transcribed in written form in Mesopotamia was Sumerian. Predominantly, the earliest tablets originate from the Uruk site in southern Mesopotamia, possibly marking its birthplace. Digitization cuneiform documents is imperative to boost research focused on the ancient Middle East. A few initiatives embarked upon this endeavor around the year 2000. Nonetheless, the digitization process is time-consuming due to the extensive volume of documents, and a dependable (semi) automatic methodology has yet to be developed. Given the antiquity of cuneiform script, recognizing cuneiform signs using real-world applications via two graph-based algorithms, each with complementary runtime characteristics, remains a manual procedure. Translating cuneiform proves to be a daunting task. Only in relatively recent times has grammar been established scientifically, while lexical challenges remain abundant and far from resolved. Furthermore, the majority of the Sumerian tablets have succumbed to the ravages of time, leaving behind only a handful of ancient depictions. Some of these old images have been preserved in a unique collection or in museums worldwide, allowing specialists to easily apply the sign detector to their cuneiform text studies. In this paper, we will discuss the categorization and analysis of clay tablets using a trained cuneiform model, employing artificial intelligence methodologies. Additionally, we will explore the methods employed, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. Finally, we will propose potential directions for future research.

“ŞƏRQ XALQLARINDA HÖKMDAR QADINLAR: MİSİR SULTANI ŞƏCƏRƏDDÜR

Egypt is an Arab country located on the African continent, one of the developed cultural centers of the Ancient East, and most of its inhabitants are Muslim Arabs. At the same time, the continent is the country with the largest population. The article focuses on the life, political activities and role of Sultan Shajar ad-Durr, who was the concubine of Ayyubid ruler al-Salih Najmuddin Ayyub, the first Sultan of the Mamluk Turkic state founded in Egypt-Syria, and later fell in love and married. They present her as a woman with beauty and intelligence who knows public administration. Shajar ad-Durr was known as a person who plays an important role in the life of not only Egypt, but also neighboring Muslim countries.

Critical Awareness within the Teachings of the Bhagvat Gita and the Aditya Jyoti Path

Total ignorance of what we have had in the eastern body of knowledge and civilization for a long period of time may lead ones to imperfect course of learning since there have already been in the east what we claim today to be new and innovative. The concepts such as critical thinking and critical teaching – though they were not explicitly expressed in words – existed clearly in the literatures and practices of the ancient eastern life. In this brief review article an attempt is made to explore some kind of bridging up between the ancient eastern values and today’s (post) modern expressions related with criticalities in education, particularly in teachings. The concepts of critical discourse and critical pedagogy are elaborated, and a few of the contents of the two renowned books on eastern values are analyzed and interpreted putting the intensive curiosity on how these ancient eastern understandings throw insights on today’s critical framework of thinking. This article expects for the readers to have general background knowledge on the discourse related with the Mahabharata War in the times of Krishna and on the enriched guidelines given by Guru Aditya for ideal human life of the present time.

An Analysis of Cataphracti"s Weapons Engineering Tactics in Ancient East and West - Focusing on Rome and Parthia

An Analysis of Cataphracti"s Weapons Engineering Tactics in Ancient East and West - Focusing on Rome and Parthia

What If God is a ‘Pagan Amalgam’: Marilynne Robinson and Historical Bible Scholarship

Abstract Marilynne Robinson is one of the most influential Christian writers and public intellectuals alive today, and her views on a range of topics should be taken seriously. In her 2015 essay entitled ‘Memory’, she argues that the ‘liberal side’ of American Christianity has retreated from scriptural theology under pressure from academic biblical criticism. Her dismissal of Hebrew Bible scholarship is centred on two primary and interrelated ideas. First is the idea that Israelite religion was embedded in a broader context of Ancient Near East (ANE) religious cultures, such that biblical stories and characters sometimes borrow from other ancient sources. Second is the problem that the scholarly understanding of ancient Israelite polytheism threatens to make God into a ‘pagan amalgam’. The interrelated problem, that is, is the uniqueness and transcendence of the Hebrew Bible, and the God who is its main character. In this article, I review the scholarship on ancient Israelite religion and Robinson’s complaints about it. I argue that Robinson treats the critical scholarship only at a distance, allusively, (mis)representing it and sometimes (mis)understanding it in superficial ways, but that her theological anxiety is warranted.

QADIMGI SHARQDA INSON VA FUQAROLARNING TADBIRKORLIK BILAN SHUGʻULLANISH HUQUQINI TAʼMINLASHNING HUQUQIY ASOSLARI

The article analyzes the legal guarantees of ensuring the right of people and citizens to engage in entrepreneurship in the Ancient East, the procedures established for its implementation, and the clarification of the legal norms of ensuring this right and the legal basis of ensuring the property rights of people. The guarantees of ensuring this right are highlighted in the “The Code of Hammurabi”, which is the historical and legal monument of the Eastern peoples; the “Avesta” book of Zoroastrianism; and the “The Law Code of Manu”, which is considered the heritage of the Indian people. The main noteworthy aspect of the article is that in the Ancient East, the rules related to the provision and protection of property rights of people and citizens have been studied. Detailed information is provided on the order of punishments and other measures in cases of violations of property rights. The historical-theoretical formation of the right to engage in entrepreneurial activity, its expression as a separate norm in historical-legal documents, and information on the main types of entrepreneurship that existed in ancient times were comparatively analyzed. The issue of the positive impact of ensuring the right of people and citizens to engage in entrepreneurship on the welfare and economic life of society has been studied. Proposals about the main directions of scientific research work to be carried out in this area have been presented.

The Same Room is No Longer Good for Each Other: The Unity and Separation of the Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian “Slavic” Identity

After the fall of Western Rome, the formerly widely stamped “Germans”, “Wends” (ancient Western Slavic), and “Antes” (ancient Eastern Slavic) terms that were defined by the ancient Romans began to dissipate. The brand of barbarism began to fade away, and different tribes within the same caste culture strengthened their original independent tendencies. With the emergence of modern nation-states and their accompanying establishment of state borders and sovereignty, the macroscopic perception of the “Slavs” also split, with the “East Slavs” represented by the three nation-states of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus being the most The “East Slavs” represented by the three nation-states of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus were the most prominent. At a time of intense conflict between Russia and Ukraine, deteriorating relations between Ukraine and Belarus, and close cooperation between Russia and Belarus, a new understanding of the unity and separation of the Slavic identity between Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus is important for exploring the origins of relations between the three countries.

Fractal geometry and modern science

The essence of fractal geometry is disclosed, the subject of study of which is the point as the self-similarity of Genesis. The essence of the torsion form of movement was analyzed. A new concept of space and time has been developed. The ideological and theoretical proximity of the provisions of modern science and ancient Eastern philosophy has been determined. G. Kantors axiom on continuity (1872), as well as K. Gdels incompleteness theorem, has been interpreted. The possibility of science entering the sphere of the nomen world has been proven. The theory of pulsating Chaos or Supersymmetry is based. It has been revealed that events occur not only in space and time, but that space and time themselves affect events.