Seminars:

Seminars will take place on Tuesdays in weeks 3, 5, 12 and 14. There will be an additional seminar for those pursuing Pathway C for Term 2 Assessment in week 11 (Tuesday 8th January 11-1pm in H0.60).

The module group will be divided into 2 groups for seminars. Your group will be allocated to you in week 1-2 of Term 1. The groups will meet as follows:

Group 1: 9-10am (Location: OC1.01)

Group 2: 11-12 (Location: T1, Week 5: H0.03; T2, Weeks 2 and 4: B2.04/5)

See here for which group you have been allocated.

Term 1:

Seminar 1 (Week 3): The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea

Download the Periplus text here. In advance of the seminar, read sections 36-50 and 64-66 (and more of the text if you can).

To help orientate yourself with the locations mentioned, please download the enclosed map

Read this introduction to Roman trade with India, and this article on the Periplus text.

Seminar 2 (Week 5): Sima Qian's Shiji 'Records of the Grand Historian'

Read the account of the Xiongnu in Sima Qian's Shiji, focusing especially on pages 139-47 (and more of the text if you can). You can download it here

Term 2:

For those taking Assessment route C: Digital Assessment Training session: Week 11 (2hour session) - Tuesday 8th January 11-1pm in H0.60)

Seminar 3 (Week 12): The Hou Hanshu (History of the Later Han) and the Weilue (Peoples of the Western Regions)

Read the 'Chronicle of the Western Regions' from the Hou Hanshu - you can download it here. Concentrate on sections 10 onwards.

Read the 'Peoples of the West' text - you can download it here.

See this map to help orientate yourself.

Seminar 4 (Week 14): Documents of Trade

Read a selection of the Karosthi language documents found in the Tarim basin. Download the selection here.

Read the Sogdian Letters (found at Dunhuang). Download the letters here.

Read the honorific inscriptions for traders working at Palmyra. Download the inscriptions here.

See maps of China, the Tarim Basin and of Palmyra to help orientate yourself.