Krisztina Hoppál
Comparing Roman and Roman-related Artefacts in Thailand and China:
Materials, Context, and Networks
ABSTRACT
The Eastern trade of the Roman Empire, specifically Rome’s possible contacts with China in the 1st–5th centuries – since the two great states are generally being considered the Western and Eastern edges of the Silk Road – has been one of the most compelling fields of research as early as the 19th century.
It is widely accepted that the two imperii had only indirect contacts, in which products were moved through a series of middlemen, mostly by using networks of the maritime Silk Road. However, the exact identification of these middlemen is still a matter of question. In order to get a deeper understanding of the possible ways certain Roman artefacts reached China, it is crucial to study other Roman interpreted objects discovered in locations along the maritime Silk Road, particularly beyond India. The relatively significant amount of such items in Thailand gives an excellent opportunity to analyze and compare these materials.
Accordingly, the present paper aims to highlight certain differences between Roman objects discovered in China and in Thailand, along with some further comments on cross cultural interactions in Antiquity.
It is widely accepted that the two imperii had only indirect contacts, in which products were moved through a series of middlemen, mostly by using networks of the maritime Silk Road. However, the exact identification of these middlemen is still a matter of question. In order to get a deeper understanding of the possible ways certain Roman artefacts reached China, it is crucial to study other Roman interpreted objects discovered in locations along the maritime Silk Road, particularly beyond India. The relatively significant amount of such items in Thailand gives an excellent opportunity to analyze and compare these materials.
Accordingly, the present paper aims to highlight certain differences between Roman objects discovered in China and in Thailand, along with some further comments on cross cultural interactions in Antiquity.