C9476 - HISTORY AND PLACES OF THE SILK ROAD

Learning outcomes

The course focuses on the study of overland trade relations between the Far East and the Mediterranean region. It examines the various routes of the Silk Road over time, the countries, peoples, and major cities along its path, as well as the economic, political, and cultural consequences that arose from this commercial network. By the end of the course, students will be able to identify the historical routes of the Silk Road and the political, economic, and cultural interactions it facilitated. They will also gain knowledge of the history of the Silk Road itself, including the origins of the term and its continued relevance today in the context of exchanges between the East and the Mediterranean

Course contents

The course consists of fifteen two-hour classes devoted to the study of the historical connections linking the Mediterranean and the Near East with Central and East Asia. We will reconstruct the routes through which commodities, scientific knowledge, technologies, ideas, and religious traditions circulated in both directions across the vast networks later known as the Silk Roads. Particular attention will be paid to the peoples who facilitated these exchanges and, above all, to the cities, regions, and landscapes that served as key points of contact between different cultures.

Readings/Bibliography

V. Hansen, The Silk Road. A New History, 2015.

S. Whitfield, Life along the Silk Road, 2015.

N. Di Cosmo, M. Maas, Empires and Exchanges in Eurasian Late Antiquity, 2020.

S. Whitfield, Silk Roads: Peoples, Cultures, Landscapes, 2019.

P. Golden, Central Asia in World History, 2011.

Teaching methods

Frontal lessons using textual material for students.

Be informed that the use of generative artificial intelligence is considered a form of plagiarism if the methodology and the limits of its use are not clarified.

Assessment methods

The examination consists of an oral discussion of the main topics covered during the course.

The assessment will take into account:

the student’s knowledge and understanding of the course topics; the ability to organize the material in a clear, coherent, and comprehensive manner; the ability to establish connections between different historical and theoretical issues; the capacity for critical analysis; the use of appropriate academic language and terminology.

A coherent and comprehensive understanding of the topics, combined with strong critical skills, clear argumentation, and appropriate use of academic language, will result in the highest grades (27–30, with honours where appropriate).

A mainly descriptive or mnemonic knowledge of the course content, together with some weaknesses in language, critical analysis, or logical organization, will result in grades ranging from good (24–26) to satisfactory (21–23).

A limited understanding of the course content, accompanied by significant gaps in knowledge and weaknesses in language, critical analysis, or logical reasoning, will result in a barely passing grade (18–20).

Serious deficiencies in knowledge, argumentation, or the ability to discuss the course topics will result in a failing grade.

Teaching tools

manuals, videos.

Students with a disability or specific learning disabilities (DSA) who are requesting academic adjustments or compensatory tools are invited to communicate their needs to the teaching staff in order to properly address them and agree on the appropriate measures with the competent bodies.

Office hours

See the website of Paolo Ognibene