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The Packages of Knowledge among Late Silk Road Traveler Groups
Thu, July 16, 11:00am to 12:30pm, Edinburgh Futures Institute, 1.60English Abstract
While the Silk Road is historically renowned, the specific mechanisms of how it "became a road"—specifically how knowledge systems supported different types of travelers—have not received sufficient scholarly attention. The evolution of these knowledge systems through interactions with environments, resources, and cultures remains underexplored due to the fragmented nature of historical data regarding specific groups and regions. However, traditional trade routes and transport methods persisted in many areas until the popularization of modern mechanization. This continuity allows for the use of late-period (in East Asia, this could extend as late as the first half of the 20th century) memories and oral histories to supplement the gaps in ancient records. This study categorizes Silk Road travelers into three distinct groups: the Transport Group, the Commercial Group, and the Elite Group. Combining field surveys, oral history, and literature research conducted along the Silk Road sections in Northwest and Southwest China, this study analyzes the relatively recent and accessible memories of traditional transport and trade—such as those of the tea porters in the Southwest and merchants in Inner Asia—which retained continuity with ancient practices, the author reconstructs the knowledge evolution mechanisms of the past, and examines the internal structure of each group's knowledge, its storage (embodied vs. written), and its transmission across cultural and social boundaries. The study concludes that until the early modern period, Silk Road knowledge was largely common across cultures. Understanding these historical mechanisms of knowledge evolution and transmission offers valuable insights for exploring the interaction between knowledge and cross-cultural, long-distance historical practices.