Seventh Century Research Articles

Local identity in the Lives of the Fathers of Mérida: when ethnicity and religion aren’t the point

ABSTRACT While scholarship on early medieval Europe often centers ethnicity or religion over other forms of identity, they were not always the most relevant form of identification for contemporaries. In the Lives of the Fathers of Mérida (late sixth-early seventh century), ethnic and religious identity were actually deployed to construct a local identity around the space and people of the city. This article explores how the text did so by closely analyzing terms used and their context, and by applying social scientific theories of boundary construction to illuminate the strategies of identification behind it. It argues that such an approach gives historians of medieval identity a window into shifting affiliations within a locality and forces us to reconsider the salience of various layers of identity, both locally and kingdom-wide.

A Note on the Āl-i Burhān of Bukhara and the Author of the Laṭāʾif al-aḏkār

The Āl-i Burhān, who held the religious leadership (ṣadāra) of Bukhara from the end of the fifth to the middle of the seventh century A.H. (eleventh to thirteenth century CE) and were the religious and secular leaders of the city, are known to us through a number of studies by Bartold, Qazvīnī, and Pritsak.1 However, at least two other pieces of information about this family's background are available in two recently published books that were not available to these scholars. The first book is al-Qand fī ḏikr ʿulamāʾ Samarqand (henceforth al-Qand) by ʿUmar ibn Muḥammad al-Nasafī (461‒537 A.H./1069‒1142 CE), and the other is Laṭāʾif al-aḏkār li-l-ḥużżār wa-l-suffār fī al-manāsik wa-l-ādāb (henceforth Laṭāʾif) by Muḥammad ibn ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz (511–566 A.H./1117‒1170 CE), the greatest religious leader (ṣadr) of this family in the sixth century A.H. (twelfth century CE).2 The latter, precisely because it was written by the greatest and most powerful member of the family, contains some firsthand information about the family itself and the scholars of Bukhara that appears to be unique, and the former provides the most detailed extant information about the scholars who lived in Samarqand or visited that city until the mid-sixth century A.H. (twelfth century CE). Al-Qand also incidentally contains some information about the first ṣadr of the Burhān family, which has neither been seen elsewhere nor noticed by scholars since the publication of the text in 1999.

Material taxonomies and beads on the East African coast, seventh-fifteenth centuries AD

ABSTRACT Beads found in assemblages from the coast of East Africa have received significant archaeological attention. Glass beads were imported in large numbers to coastal sites from Indian Ocean trade networks from at least the seventh century AD; they give an important indication of the volume and direction of trade. Beads produced locally from materials such as shell have normally been understood in the same ways, seen as objects of trade for partners within and beyond Africa. In this paper, bead evidence is instead considered as an index of local values and uses. Beads of different materials are reviewed and a more flexible approach to taxonomy is suggested, highlighting local categories of object that do not entirely align with archaeological taxonomies based on raw materials and technology. A set of skeuomorphic beads from the Tanzanian sites of Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara is considered as an example of how local categories might transcend materials-based taxonomic systems.

Multiple-analytical study on the technology of Zhaili celadon from the late sixth to the seventh centuries and its initiation

Multiple-analytical study on the technology of Zhaili celadon from the late sixth to the seventh centuries and its initiation

The Masterpiece of Abdullah Ibn Mubarak

There are several copies of "Zuhd" compiled by Abdullah ibn Mubarak, the originals of all of which were obtained from the library of Valiuddin Jorullah in Istanbul. Its history dates back to the seventh century. Because there it is recorded that this book was samo'an, that is, written by the author in the year 600 (Hij). After this copy passed from hand to hand and finally fell into the hands of this Valiuddin Jarullah, he dedicated this copy to the cause of Allah.

Archaeological Geology of Jurash, ʿAsīr Province, Southwestern Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACTThe Jurash archaeological site is located on Wādī Bīshah near the city of Khamīs Mushayt in southwestern Saudi Arabia. It has a fort and other remains from the pre‐Islamic period (third century bc to early seventh century ad) and a settlement with two mosques from the Early Islamic period (early seventh to early 11th centuries ad). A survey was conducted for the purposes of identifying the building materials and determining their geographic sources, and also investigating the building methods. It was found that all materials were locally derived and that the fort's outer wall is a typical example of South Arabian fortifications of the first millennium bc. An examination of the site stratigraphy revealed that Jurash has been repeatedly inundated by destructive flash floods from Wādī Bīshah. The timing of these events was largely controlled by global climatic fluctuations, including the Medieval Climate Anomaly and the Little Ice Age.

Pottery Production Changes During the Transition from Byzantine to Umayyad Rule

Pottery is the most affected tool by the changes in human societies; this is due to its flexibility during forming. In order to estimate the effect of the transition of inhabitants of the urban center of Umm Qais (Gadara), north Jordan, from Byzantine (Christianity) to Umayyad (Islam) rule on pottery production traditions, a total of 29 cooking pots and sherds of pottery jars were selected. The samples were dated according to stratigraphy, archaeological context, and parallel examples to the proposed periods. The samples were investigated following the typological and archaeometric approaches. The raw materials and firing technology of the pottery during the two periods were determined following chemical and mineralogical methods using petrography, XRD, ED-XRF, and EDX-SEM techniques. The results revealed that many styles and forms of pottery continued to be produced and some new styles emerged at the urban center of Gadara. Technically, the potters inherited the knowledge of selecting the available raw materials and firing conditions of pottery during the Byzantine and Umayyad periods. During these periods, Umm Qais potters used the local raw materials—non-calcareous ferruginous illite clays mixed with medium to high amounts of coarse quartz grains and fired at temperatures around 1000° in an oxidizing atmosphere to produce cooking pots. They used the available medium to highcalcareous ferruginous illite clays and fired them at temperatures between 850° and 950° in an oxidizing atmosphere to produce the jars. Importing fine fabric jars and cooking pots during the seventh century from Jarash are indicated too. Thus, the types and forms of everyday use pottery were more affected by the political and religious changes than the technical aspects.

Late Ancient Christian Anxiety over Islamic Geographies of Containment: Two Examples

In the seventh and eighth centuries CE, Christians across the Mediterranean were experiencing the consequences of the rise of Islam and its expansion. With this challenge to Christian hegemony in the eastern Mediterranean, Christian writers began to ask about the effect of Islamic expansion on their own lives, practices, and worlds to come. In this article, I aim to contextualize two examples of how late ancient Christians questioned their ability to remain Christian in the face of both Islamic captivity and assimilation: 3 Apocryphal Apocalypse of John (3 Apocr. Apoc. John) and Anastasius of Sinai’s (d. ca. 700) Questions and Answers (Questions). I divide this article into three sections. First, I place Christian anxiety over Islamic rule in conversation with Stephanie Camp’s concept of the “geography of containment” to explore how some late ancient Christians understood themselves to be geographically and spatially limited by imprisonment or enslavement. I also provide an overview of recent scholarship on Christian responses to early Islamic expansion and anxiety over enslavement, imprisonment, captivity, and assimilation to Islam. Finally, I turn to 3 Apocr. Apoc. John and Anastasius’s Questions to analyze how late ancient Christians turned to monks and patriarchs to find answers regarding the uncertainty of Christian identity under Islamic rule.

The Armenian Collection Tōnapatchaṛ: Kamrjadzor and Haghpat School Recension Brunches

Abstract The Tōnapatchaṛ (Տօնապատճառ, literally “the causes of feast days,” or “commentaries on feast days”) is a collection that has no equivalent in other ecclesiastical traditions. It survived in many copies that might be grouped into the Kamrjadzor and the Haghpat school recension brunches. The Tōnapatchaṛ has long been considered a mere commentary on the Lectionary of the Armenian Church – an exegetical work for didactic purposes only. By indexing the historical development of these recensions and their enrichment between the seventh and fourteenth centuries, the present article argues that despite its exegetical character, the Tōnapatchaṛ served polemical purposes, focusing on the calendar differences between the non-Chalcedonian Armenian and Chalcedonian Byzantine Churches. The article further discusses the intensification of the polemical function of the Haghpat school recensions in the twelfth-thirteenth centuries due to the unity attempts between the Byzantine and Armenian Churches initiated by the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos (1143–1180) and the Armenian Catholicos Nersēs Shnorhali (the Gracious, 1166–1173), which generated theological debates concerning the Dominical feasts and their exact days of celebration.

ANOTHER STRAND IN THE WEB. THE CONNECTION BETWEEN NEA PAPHOS AND THE REGION OF NORTH‐WESTERN CYPRUS BASED ON AN INTEGRATED INVESTIGATION OF THE MIDDLE AND LATE ROMAN COOKING POTTERY

SummaryThe focus of this paper is the Middle and Late Roman (third–seventh centuries AD) cooking pottery recovered during the excavations at the Agora in Nea Paphos. Macroscopic investigation suggested that a part of this assemblage was imported from north‐western Cyprus. To verify this assumption, selected samples were analysed with thin section petrography and wavelength dispersive X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry. The results of an integrated macroscopic and laboratory analysis indicated the presence of two typologically distinguishable groups characterized by the same fabric. Comparative studies suggest that they were likely produced in the area of Dhiorios located in north‐western Cyprus. It was also noted that the cooking pottery vessels characterized by the same fabric were being imported to Nea Paphos already in the first century AD. The continuity of the production and exportation of the Dhiorios pottery suggests the economic importance of north‐western Cyprus throughout the entire Roman period.

Between North and South: Buddhist Cliff Sculpture in Northern Sichuan in the First Half of the Seventh Century CE

In the first half of the seventh century CE, clusters of Buddhist cliff sculptures were carved into cliffs and boulders in Guangyuan, Mianyang, Bazhong, and other locations nestled in the northern Sichuan Basin. They mark the start of large-scale Buddhist grotto construction in Sichuan, significantly impacting the establishment of regional grotto traditions in southwestern China. Through analysis of site forms, statue types, and devotional inscriptions, this article argues that these Buddhist cliff sculptures represent a reintegration of divergent Buddhist practices and artistic conventions that emerged during the Southern and Northern Dynasties in northern and southern China. While their niche-based site structure and collective sponsorship through the yiyi association can be traced back to northern China in the prior two centuries, the sculptural style primarily reflects a regional tradition exemplified by the free-standing statues unearthed in Chengdu, central Sichuan in the Southern Dynasties. The construction of these sites, catalyzed by the influx of northern officials and monks into Sichuan toward the end of the Sui and the early Tang, provides valuable material for exploring the social integration of northern and southern China, as well as the religious dynamics between Buddhism and Daoism in northern Sichuan.

Ancient Genome of Broomcorn Millet from Northwest China in Seventh Century CE: Shedding New Light to Its Origin and Dispersal Patterns

Broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum) is among the earliest domesticated staple crops in the world’s agricultural history and facilitated the development of several early agrarian cultures, particularly those originating in northern China. However, the propagation route of broomcorn millet in China from the Middle Ages to the present remains unclear. The aim of this study is to explore the genetic affinity between ancient and modern millet samples, trace the genetic origins and diffusion pathways of broomcorn millet, and provide insights into its domestication and spread. To achieve this, we sequence ancient DNA from broomcorn millet remains excavated from the Chashan Village cemetery (AD 691) in Gansu Province, China. Phylogenetic and population genetic analyses, integrating ancient and modern millet genomes, reveal a close genetic relationship between ancient millet and contemporary millet from Ningxia Province (445 km away from Chashan Village), suggesting a potential origin for the Chashan millet. This finding aligns with the tomb’s epitaph, which documents the reburial of the tomb’s owner, who was originally buried in Ningxia, and provides important archaeological evidence for understanding the interaction between geopolitical dynamics and the natural environment in northwest China during the late seventh century. Furthermore, outgroup-f3 and D statistics evidence suggests substantial genetic interactions between ancient millet and modern varieties from the Loess Plateau, Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, and Northeast Plain, indicating the dispersal route of broomcorn millet, along with human migration routes, from the northwest to northern China and ultimately to the northeast region, starting from the Middle Ages onward. This study enhances our understanding of millet’s genetic history, offers a novel perspective on burial archaeology, and provides valuable insights into the origins, domestication, and diffusion of broomcorn millet.

Symbol of (Iranian) Empire: The Sāsānian Imperial Standard (Derafsh-e kāviyān) from Arab-Islamic Conquest Narratives to Modern Nationalist Myths

Abstract: With its capture at the outset of the conquest of Iran in the early seventh century, the imperial Sāsānian standard, known as the Derafsh-e kāviyān , became a metaphor for imperial corruption, underscoring both the righteousness of the Islamic caliphate and the piety of the Arab-Muslim warriors who founded it. Two centuries later, it served as a potent symbol of pre-Islamic Persian splendor and the continuity of its rich tradition. Later still, modern Iranian nationalists raised the "banner of Kāveh" as part of their campaign to foster a sense of national consciousness and pride in the country's ancient heritage. Today, the Derafsh-e kāviyān continues to be a powerful symbol for secular Iranian nationalists campaigning against the Islamic Republic of Iran; for Kurdish nationalists seeking political autonomy; and for Tajik state authorities linking their nation to a mythical past.

From Text to Relics: The Emergence of the Scribe-Martyr in Late Antique Christianity (Fourth Century–Seventh Century)

Abstract: This paper delves into the conflation of two prominent figures of authority in the early Christian world: the scribe-scholar and the martyr. While previous scholarship has largely examined these figures separately, this study focuses on their association and argues that they were meaningfully combined to establish a new form of textual authority. The motif of the scribe-martyr is explored in a series of Christian texts, from Pseudo-Pionius to John Moschus and late ancient hagiographic texts, tracing its origins to the fourth century. This development emerged from the growing association between the authority of written texts as physical objects and the rise of the cult of saints and their relics. In parallel with Foucault’s concept of the author-function, a distinct Christian “scribe-function” emerged within this context, i.e., discourses of authority, fictitious or historical, involving the individuals who reproduced or corrected texts. The paper posits that the motif of the scribe-martyr was then strategically employed in legal, scholarly, and institutional contexts to express faithfulness, resistance, authorization, and legitimation. As a result, this conflation contributed significantly to the attribution of holiness and authority to texts, sacred places, and religious institutions. Thus, the scribe-martyr, connected to the revered relic-texts, assumed a particularly potent role as a figure of theological authority within late ancient Christianity.

الأثر الإداري لآل قدامة بدمشق في القرنين السادس والسابع الهجريين

The study dealt with the position of the Al Qudama family on assuming administrative positions, and it also talked about the positions held by some members of the family, especially the judiciary, and that some of them held the highest judicial position, which is the chief judge. The details of this position were discussed, including its definition, origin, and who held it from the family. He mentioned the leadership of some family members in mosques and their preachers, and the research mentioned the teaching of family members, and all of this in the sixth and seventh centuries AH, in Damascus in general and Salihiyya in particular, and the influence of this family on these positions, in the Ayyubid and Mamluk states.

Interpretative Differences between the Interpreters of the Seventh Century AH in the Second Part of Surat Al-Baqarah from Verse 142 to Verse 146

Interpretative Differences between the Interpreters of the Seventh Century AH in the Second Part of Surat Al-Baqarah from Verse 142 to Verse 146

Local community engagement and gazettement approach in managing and conserving Pangani historic town in Tanzania

Pangani is a historic coastal Swahili town situated at the mouth of the Pangani River, which empties its waters into the Indian ocean. Archaeologists have traced the origins of this town back to the seventh century through evidence from material cultures found in this area. Despite its historical importance and archaeological interest, Pangani faces substantial conservation and management challenges, primarily due to low awareness levels among its local community. These residents are largely unaware of the town’s historical value and of the impact of factors such as climate change, stone quarrying, wave erosion, and development pressures, so effective conservation plans are lacking. In finding the best practices for managing and conserving this historic town, a critical question remains as to how to rescue the town's significance and value from these challenges. This paper proposes a gazettement approach for managing and conserving Pangani, emphasising a bottom-up approach that involves local communities and other stakeholders in the conservation process.

The Origin and Evolution of the Paired Animals on Chinese Swords

This article explores the historical evolution of paired animal motifs on Chinese swords, highlighting their transformation from symbols of wealth to emblems of royal power. Originating from Persian textile designs, these motifs entered Chinese culture during the sixth and seventh centuries through Sino-West Asian cultural exchanges. Initially, these motifs reflected exotic tastes and wealth among the Chinese elite. However, with the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty, these motifs were recontextualized as symbols of royal authority. The study traces this cultural journey, examining how Persian artistic traditions were adapted and institutionalized within Chinese imperial iconography, particularly during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Through a detailed analysis of swords and textiles, the paper illustrates the continuity and transformation of these motifs, emphasizing their significance in reflecting broader cultural and political shifts in ancient China.

Research on the Development of Architectural Conditions for Civil Repairs in Afghanistan

During the formation of fidalism, the culture of urbanization, which was considered the necessary link in the slave society, decreased, but the Centers of Buddhist culture in Afghanistan continued to operate even after the Arab conquests in the 7th century AD. At the beginning of the 5th century, from the depths of Central Asia, the Gochhanda Yaftali tribes invaded the territory of Afghanistan, which eventually led to the extinction of the Kushan Empire. Coexistence and interaction with neighbors in a peaceful and sometimes non-peaceful way of agricultural units with nomadic tribes is one of the main features of the historical development of the people of Afghanistan and Asia. By settling in the lands of Afghanistan and accepting the local culture and enriching it with their tribal traditions, the nomadic tribes helped a lot in the emergence of the process of a new social and cultural nature in the country. The conquests of the Arab caliphs, which began in the seventh century, and as a result of the interaction of their culture with the cultural traditions of the local people, led to the creation of a new culture. And Islamic religion replaced Buddhism and other religious beliefs. Buildings for worship were built called mosques, Eidgah’s, schools and caravanserais. The formation of large commercial and handicraft cities, which took place in the development of literary and architectural sciences, which took place in the middle of the centuries of the feudal period. The Ghaznavid dynasties (10th-12th centuries) and the Ghurids, the "king of the mountains" in the 12th century, had a significant impact on the history of the early Middle Ages. In the engineering of the cities of the Ghaznavid period, the buildings of the city (Ghazni, Qala-e-Bast, Lashkargah) and also in the engineering of most of the buildings of the Ghurid dynasty (a minaret in the mountainous region of Jam), the ideological characteristics of that era have been expressed in the language of engineering. In the modern era, after the wars and the destruction of cities and places in the country, the migrations that took place as a result of the civil wars and the return to the country, brought different cultures to the country. Also, by mixing new cultures with local traditions, it caused cities and places to take a new shape. Thus, it influenced the development of Afghan architecture and the growth of modern architecture. This will be of particular importance with the combination of local architectural culture and traditions in Afghanistan.

The Kitāb al-Jadal of Abū Bakr ʿImād al-Dīn ʿAbdallāh b. Muḥammad al-Nūqānī al-Baghdādī al-Shāfiʿī (A Scholar of the Sixth Century): A Study and Critical Edition

Objectives: This study contains a critical first edition of a text in the fields of Uṣūl al-Fiqh (Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence) and Jadal (Islamic Dialectics) by ʿImād al-Nūqānī, a prominent Shāfiʿī scholar in the disciplines of Fiqh, Uṣūl, and Jadal. The study also seeks to shed light on the author's biography, which remained obscure for an extended period. Methodology: The study employs an inductive approach based on collecting, analysing, comparing, and deducing information regarding the author's biography. It also utilises a historical method focused on authenticating the manuscript's attribution to the author through critical examination and validation of information on his person. Findings: Among the most significant findings of this study is the calculation of al-Nūqānī’s life span as being from the second decade to the end of the sixth century (or early seventh century) and the refutation of the manuscript's incorrect attribution to Fakhr al- Nūqānī. Originality: This study's value lies in its critical edition of a previously unedited text and in clarifying the author's biography. The text includes essential discussions such as objections to analogical reasoning (qiyās), the conditions for there being a qiyās al-ʿilla (analogical reasoning based on the effective cause), the organisation of objections in a debate, and the types of rational and transmitted evidence.