brought to you by the Center for Russian and East European Studies, the Asian Studies Center, the Global Studies Center at the University of Pittsburgh, and the Consortium for Educational Resources on Islamic Studies ...
James A. Millward
Professor of Intersocietal History at the Walsh School of Foreign Service and Department of History, Georgetown University
Silk Road journeys of the Eurasian Lute
Thursday, January 12th, 4:00pm, Frick Fine Arts Auditorium
What do we mean when we say something (an object, a technology , and ideal) traveled along the silk road? There has been much scholarly and popular interest in cultural exchange over time across Eurasia, but seldome do we consider the complexity of 'cultural exchange' itself. As best we can tell from archaeological evidnece and extant artifacts, the lute - as and object, technology and idea - began in or near the Mesopotamian region by the 3rd millennium BCE, and from there spread elsewhere; it was not independently invented in multiple places, and is thus a quintessential silk road phenomenon. Drawing on his current research, Millward will explore the trans-Eurasian (and global) spread of necked ghordophones and considere what it tells us about how culture disseminated over the silk road.
*** more information about Dr. Millward is available here
Location and Address
Frick Fine Arts Auditorium