Jessafox's Blog

The Lost City of Loulan

jessafox — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:41:41 +0000

Approximately 2000 years ago, Loulan was an oases city and a famous stop on the Silk Road. Despite its small size, it was economically prosperous. Located at the half-way point along the Silk Road, on the west bank of Lop Nor Lake, it was a region enriched by the trading of goods such as silks, teas, fruits and jewels. It was one of the sites where the Sogdian letters passed through (Wood, 2002), and was also used as a stopover for travelling merchants. In short, it was flourishing economically while remaining a peaceful and beautiful region for both residents and visitors.

Map of Loulan and the Silk Road

Little else is known of the town that was once considered a kingdom along the Silk Road. It was tragically buried under sand and virtually disappeared. This can be attributed to the shifting of rivers. Consequently, the lack of water would force civilizations to move to a more desirable and sustainable location (Hopkirk, 1980).

A monk, Fa Xian, passed through Loulan on his way to India. He reported being impressed by the region, with its thriving economy and valuable position on the Silk Road. Only 200 years later, however, Xuan Zang reported a much different observation after encountering the ruins of the oases city. He stated that there were no traces of human life anywhere. It appeared abandoned; “the kingdom had vanished and the city was empty and deserted” (Wu, 2005).

An artist’s depiction of Loulan

Ruins of Loulan

Sven Hedin receives the credit for rediscovering the ‘lost city’. His discovery of the ruins made him the most important explorer in the history of Western Region explorations (Wu, 2005). At the time of his discovery, the position of the city was under debate. He realized that it only made sense that the position of Loulan be determined by its dependence on Lop Nor Lake. In order to determine whether his hypothesis was correct, he assembled a team of men and ventured into the Taklamakan Desert. With a lack of water and a team of tired animals, Hedin lost many men to the harsh conditions that greeted them upon entering the unforgiving desert.

Loulan Settlement

His discovery of the exact location of Loulan was essentially an accident. His men had lost tools back at an excavation site. Hedin’s guide, realizing that the tools would be necessary if they were to find water, went back to look for them. A wind forced him off course and led him to the ancient ruins. Hedin saw the wooden figures that his guide had spotted and immediately realized that they were important (Hedin, 1996). Hedin, proud of his discovery, went back to the city several times in order to further excavate.

Sven Hedin’s team excavating Loulan

Countless other explorers ventured through the deadly desert to the site of Loulan. Braving blazing days and frigid nights, men reached the site and were not disappointed. Most were greeted by the discovery of mummies buried under the sands of Loulan. They realized that the bodies were European-looking. They had high-bridged noses, beards, round eye-sockets and light or reddish hair. They were taller than any Asian, wore fur or cloths with interesting patterns, as well as leather and felt (Wood, 2002). These mummies appear to have been buried as early as 2000-1800B.C. (Barber, 1999).

Among these discoveries was one monumental discovery of what many now refer to as the Loulan beauty. Quoting a section from The Mummies of Urumchi by Elizabeth Barber, she described the mummy as:

…bundled up in a brown woollen wrap with her

funerary gifts around her. Framed by auburn hair,

her face looks so peaceful and hauntingly beautiful

that she has captured the imagination of the Turkic

population of the whole province, who nicknamed

her the Beauty of Loulan.

The Loulan Beauty (left: actual mummy discovered;

right: a sketch of what she is believed to have looked like…)

She is believed to have been of Turkic decent, even though that categorization barely suits her facial features. It was determined for certain that she was not Han Chinese. The burials of the Turks and Mongols came 1500 years after this woman lived. Therefore, it is only a belief that they were descended from her and other mummies that were discovered, possessing the same facial features. Furthermore, the majority of non-Chinese residing in Xinjiang today possess blue eyes and light or reddish hair (Barber, 1999).

The items that surrounded the Loulan Beauty tell much of her life. She was buried wearing ankle-high leather moccasins with a fur trim and a mid-length skirt, also leather with fur on the inside for warmth. She also wore a woollen cap or hood that could be secured under the chin. It is believed that she died in the winter months because, the way in which she was dressed, showed that she may have been concerned about keeping warm (Barber, 1999).

Loulan Beauty

The link that follows is a piece from a documentary of all the mummies discovered at Loulan. This specific section focuses only on the Loulan beauty. Chinese archaeologists explain what is believed to have been her life. Watch! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcyiiviM9_8

In the book, Kingdom of Ten Thousand Things: An Impossible Journey from Kabul to Chiapas by Gary Geddes, an explorer recounts his encounter with the Loulan Beauty:

…I managed to pay my respects to the Loulan Beauty

with her chestnut hair, which pushed out from under

a felt hat adorned with a goose feather. Her eyes, long

lashes still intact, had sunk below the cheekbones. Otherwise,

she was well preserved, even handsome. Five feet tall,

European, with type O blood and at least 3800 years of under-

ground experience, she did not look a day over forty-five, her

approximate age at the time of death.

…She appeared serene in her glass case in Urumqi, one shoulder

faintly visible through the threadbare weave of her garment, and

her lips pressed – in mirth, perhaps – around some truth, some

unspeakable enigma.

Although very little is left of Loulan, it is not as if it has disappeared completely. Curious tourists are still able to explore the lands and experience the ruins of what was once a booming kingdom, historians are able to visit the Beauty of Loulan in a museum and archaeologists are still attempting to reconstruct the lives of those that resided in Loulan. Although gaps exist in this intriguing story, the gaps are slowly being filled as more discoveries are made. One can only hope to be able to understand everything about this city at some point in the future.

Works Cited

Barber, Elizabeth W. The Mummies of Urumchi. Chapter 4. W.W Norton and Company Inc.: New York. 1999.

Geddes, Gary. Kingdom of Ten Thousand Things: An Impossible Journey from Kabul to Chiapas. Sterling Publishing Company Inc.: New York. 2005.

Hedin, Sven. My Life as an Explorer. Asian Educational Services: New Delhi. 1996.

Hopkirk, Peter. Foreign Devils on the Silk Road. The University of Massachusetts Press: Amherst. 1980.

Wood, Frances. The Silk Road: Two Thousand Years in the Heart of Asia. Chapter 5. University of California Press: Los Angeles. 2002.

Wu, Dunfu. Footprints of Foreign Explorers on the Silk Road. 2005.

Evidence of Jews on the Silk Road

jessafox — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 23:12:23 +0000

It has been discovered, after many years that, in the 10th century it was completely possible for a Jewish merchant to travel to China and retrieve valuable items. Archeological studies and literary sources have made it clear that there was Jewish participation in the Silk Road trade. The idea of this possibility even existing only came to light after European explorers and archaeologists, at the beginning of the 20th century, began to investigate the routes along the Silk Road. These routes were used by the merchants. The first discovery was made by Sir Aural Stein at Dandan Uiliq. What he found was a Judeo-Persian letter, written in Hebrew characters in the Persian language. It came from a Jewish merchant and was dated to the 8th century. The second discovery was made by Paul Pelliot six years later, while investigating a secret library in the caves of the Thousand Buddhas at Tun-huang. He examined thousands of Chinese manuscripts and purchased a large number to take to France, when he discovered a copy of a prayer text written in Hebrew. This suggested that it belonged to a Jewish traveller who may have arrived at Tun-huang by caravan from Persia. However, the most convincing evidence, by far, was the discovery of a Jewish settlement along the Silk Road. In it were tombstones and memorial tablets, in Judeo-Persian, which were inscribed with 11th and 13th century dates. Some even dated to the 8th century, confirming Sir Aurel Stein’s discovery to be accurate.

With all of this overwhelming evidence, it leads one to question why so much confirmation was needed after the first discovery of a Judeo-Persian text. Why was everyone so skeptical of the possibility of Jews traveling along the Silk Road? First of all, they originated in Israel, which is far from the Silk Road, but certainly not impossible. Secondly, although they were considered second class citizens in their Persian home, they were still able to participate in trade. Therefore, it was completely possible for a Jewish merchant to travel to and participate in the activities along the Silk Road.

Discussing the Great Game

jessafox — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:20:32 +0000

The Great Game was a term used to describe the battle between Britain and Russia over claim of central Asia.

Several explorers traversed the land making vital discoveries along the way. The first explorer was Przhevalsky whose expedition was financed by the Russian War Department. He wanted to map the Ordos plateau, explore Southern Mongolia, locate the source of the Yellow River and eventually reach Lhasa. Unfortunately, he failed to reach Lhasa countless times but he did discover animal and botanical specimen that were very important. His successor, Kozlov, collected masses of documents from Dunhuang and the ancient capital of Kharakhoto.

In later years Sven Hedin, surveyed and mapped the region while also collecting antiquities along the way. Coming from Berlin University, he was a very good explorer and accomplished many things, the most important being the discovery of the lost city of Loulan.

It seems that the vast majority of explorers who travelled the Silk Road fell in love with it and, although it was dangerous and often threatened to swallow them whole, they remained steadfast and determined. Essentially, they were driven by the ‘game’ that was developing among them. They always wanted to learn more than the explorers that came before them and discover more than anyone had discovered before. Perhaps this is what drove them to return to the desert numerous times. Perhaps to achieve something that hadn’t been achieved before. It was almost as if their failures did not discourage them but rather, motivated them to continue in their quest. Clearly, they were very determined to, first and foremost, make a discovery, and second, make a name for themselves. If they could help their country gain access to central Asia through their discoveries, then their names would be remembered and respected forever, while their story would live on.

However, one is forced to wonder if the game had somehow changed with every explorer that attempted it. Was the objective to claim central Asia before another country did? Or, had it become a battle between nature and human endurance/ stamina? Did the battle eventually become a personal one?

The Views of a Post-9/11 World

jessafox — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:57:51 +0000

In a post 9/11 world, I feel that Westerners have become almost paranoid. Not that the paranoia is not justified, but only to a certain extent. I can understand that you can never be too careful when it comes to national security but to go as far as stating that all Muslims are terrorists is insane and incorrect. Yes, a few individuals made a decision that led to severe consequences worldwide, but that doesn’t make it right to proceed with racial profiling, which is essentially, what is going on.

It’s almost as if there is a giant dividing line down the center of the earth, separating the West from the Middle East; ‘us’ versus ‘them’; safe from danger; good against evil. Clearly, the events of 9/11 have permanently changed our perception of Islam, causing us to view everyone as a potential threat to our Western way of life. We are always on high alert, but as diligent as we try to be, someone or something always appear to ‘slip’ passed our watchful eye.

Why? Our perceived enemies don’t fall into any particular category. They don’t have certain distinguishing features. They can be anyone. This was made clear in December 2009, when an individual carried explosives onto and American airline. Did he match the description of our perceived enemy? No.

To classify all Muslims as terrorists, or all terrorists as Muslim and target them as our only threat hasn’t seemed to diminish any attempted acts of terrorism. It has only appeared to alienate innocent individuals and cause growing resentment between Muslims and non-Muslims. If our main goal is to stop these senseless acts of violence, shouldn’t we be working towards a greater understanding of each other’s differences and closing that gap, instead of increasing the animosity and hostility?

The Adoption of Islam

jessafox — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 23:22:40 +0000

Islam had been spreading through domains but it was through their example of mystics, preachers and traders that it finally reached China. In China their already existed Zorastrianism, Judaism, Buddhism and Christianity and they coexisted rather well. The Arab attempts to conquer the region took well over a century. Eventually, the region began to accept the Persian culture and people began to learn Arabic. They did not fully accept the religion but developed an orthodoxy of it.

It is important to understand that Islam spread through persuasion and enticement instead of war and propaganda. Because it was able to remould the culture of the people, it was a successful religion in that it spread easily throughout the lands with little fuss. Once it was developed in Asia, the mystical piety that was established was very enthusiastic and was expressed in music, poetry and dance.

It seems to me that Islam was a fairly peaceful religion, wanting to be accepted and determined on being accepted, but doing so in a way that was not coercive. They wanted to be freely adopted by the people, almost convincing them that it was their choice. This, clearly, was very important to their acceptance and their ability to survive throughout the ages.

On Manicheaism…

jessafox — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:33:50 +0000

Mani was the founder of Manichaeism. He moved into the religion willingly but transformed the doctrine into what it is today. After learning of the Gnostic Saviour figure, his manuscripts became focussed on the purification of the body. He believed in the dual characteristics of the universe; the idea that there exists good and evil. Salvation was possible through education, self-denial, vegetarianism, fasting, and chastity. Clearly a religion founded on self-sacrifice.

Mani, interestingly enough, experienced visions of his spiritual ‘twin’ and he believed that such an experience meant that he was growing in grace. He hardly spoke of these visions and this not only showed a great deal of discipline on his part, but also the devotion he held for the religion. As a result, he was rightfully considered a gifted spirit.

What was especially extraordinary about him, which further emphasizes the idea that he was a gifted spirit, was the fact that he could ‘open up souls’ in order to show them and allow them to experience his appreciation for the suffering of all things. As more people began to understand the rationale behind Mani’s suggestions, they were persuaded to become followers and changed their own lifestyle; in the name of all that is good and right; the betterment of mankind.

Mani’s philosophy, while intriguing, is not a new concept in the realm of religion itself. All religions, to some extent, are based on devotion through self-sacrifice ( fasting during religious holidays, abstinence, vows of chastity and/or poverty, to name a few). And, like all religions, followers believe that the spiritual transformation nourishes the soul allowing it to transcend the terrestrial world; the idea that salvation is close at hand.

One must consider whether Manichaeism is syncretic. As a result of its dualism, or rather, its focus on the opposing forces of good and evil, while also synthesizing different religions it is syncretic. It is helpful to consider this fact because it can provide one with a starting point, from which the religion originated. However, this can also be harmful because then one may begin to amalgamate all the religions, making it difficult to even consider Manichaeism a religion in itself. It could eventually just appear as a summary of all religions, instead of an actual belief.

I found the readings and doctrine interesting, but not terribly innovative. It was difficult to comment on them because I was learning about Manichaeism through Mani’s biased opinion of it rather than through an impartial stating of facts. Then again, his explanation of Manichaeism was, for all intents and purposes, a way of recruiting followers; an attempt at persuading them to convert to his way of life. Why shouldn’t it be biased and one sided?

A Question of Identity

jessafox — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:12:14 +0000

The reading by David Bundy encouraged me to consider my own faith, Catholicism, due to the fact that Nestorianism, is much like Catholicism. They were both derived from Christianity, or the belief in Christ. What is different, however, is that Nestorians believed Jesus to have existed as two different people, a man and the Son of God. Catholics, however, believe that Jesus is embodied by the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. A Catholic would argue that by embodying Jesus as simply a man, you are limiting Him. We believe that he is omnipotent, the Messiah, regardless of His form. He was sent by God for a specific purpose, our salvation, and while in a human form, He was still divine; able to perform miracles. He was more than a prophet and was the closet thing to God on earth. Although humans perceived His physical form as simply human, our faith teaches us that He was so much more. The concepts may appear similar, and my explanation may be confusing, but it is very difficult to explain the existence of the divine. As a human, I am limited by words.

What is also interesting is the fact that the Nestorian Church was almost separate from the country and able to do as it pleased. It was not controlled in China and was free to ‘chart its own course.’ In the Catholic Church, the Vatican is the ultimate authority on code of conduct. The Church is governed by a College of Bishops who then rule from the Vatican. Nothing can occur without the Bishops’ or the Pope’s approval.

It seems to me that the Nestorian Church, because it moved to China and grew from there, did not have the established institutions that the Catholic Church had had in place for centuries. Because of this, monks and traders that were practicing the faith of their own accord. It was a very free flowing, respectful religion that didn’t assert superiority but rather suggested that others simply accepted their ‘way’. Because of their modesty and respectful nature, the other, previously established religions in China, practiced tolerance for the Nestorians.

The Caves: Excavation and Discovery

jessafox — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:23:31 +0000

The excavation of caves in Dunhuang began late in the fourth century. First initiated by a monk, others followed, excavating meditation caves, painting the walls and adding statues of Buddha. Due to the fact that so many caves had been dug out in the cliff face, the site became known as ‘The Caves of a Thousand Buddhas’. As time went on, more caves were built. Although Dunhuang was an unstable region, often undergoing rebellions and transfers of power, the cave projects continued. With the changing of rulers, came the changing of beliefs which encouraged a change in the style of the paintings and statues within the caves excavated at that time.

It is interesting that interest in the caves only arose in the early eighteenth century, when Chinese officials visited the cave sites. They were not interested in meditating within the sacred caves, but rather extracting the ancient manuscripts for studying. Many people visited the caves extracting the manuscripts.

Although this dissemination of the manuscripts was frowned upon, it allowed for the art of Buddhism to be explained to a very curious world. Had it not been for the explorers, there would have been no way for the knowledge too reach Europe and educate its people. This was mainly because of the instability of rulers within the region of Dunhuang. It is also important to note that the monk, Abbott Wang, who was guarding the caves and creating a shrine, released many manuscripts, some of which could have been forged. This would have decreased the validity of the information and could have possibly mislead the Europeans, preventing them from fully understanding Buddhist traditions.

Reincarnation: Understanding Buddhist Rebirth

jessafox — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:04:19 +0000

What I found very intriguing about Buddhism, was the colourful past that the religion has; how it was developed – or rather accepted as a religion. Buddha was originally a prince, born into a royal family, but chose a life of meditation and peace. He never claimed to be a prophet or some god-like figure; he was simply awakened and saw things in a new light and from a new perspective. Everyone then perceived him as a deity because he saw the world in a different way. He was merely enlightened. Everyone wanted this enlightenment as well, so they became followers, and understandably so. However, I am left wondering… would he have been as revered if he had come from humble beginnings? Or would he have been persecuted, perhaps crucified, and labelled a lunatic or a fake?

The belief in rebirth is also interesting. As a Catholic, I have been taught that when I die, God will judge me and my soul will either be sent to Heaven for eternal salvation or to Hell for eternal damnation. Where ever it is sent, depends on my actions in my physical life. If I lead a virtuous life, I am eternally saved. If I commit sins and do not repent, I am punished for all eternity. I am endowed with just one soul, one opportunity to make it right; resurrection not reincarnation. It is a simple concept that I have accepted and lived by. Buddhist rebirth is really not that different. Your actions during your life determine what you will be reborn into. It is, in essence the same idea as Heaven and Hell; enduring suffering or enjoying comfort, regardless of the form in which it takes. Only the very virtuous are allowed to be reborn into humans or gods, or even humans that understand the teachings of Buddha (religions individuals). Other, less virtuous are born into lesser beings (or rather, beings with lesser opportunity).

The idea of rebirth has always interested me ( I cannot stress enough how taboo the very idea of reincarnation is in the Catholic faith- apparently the idea shouldn’t even cross my mind). Nonetheless, quite often I find myself thinking of what I may have been in a former life, if rebirth actually did exist. Was I an animal? Another human with a totally different life? Sometimes I even catch myself wondering how many times my soul could have been reborn! It is just such an amazing and captivating idea that, despite my religion and what I truly believe, I can’t help but wonder or imaging what it could be like. Another thing that I find mind-boggling – and this is just a theory, with no concrete evidence; more of an idea I formulated in my own mind – is whether, when you have a deja-vu, are you actually seeing glimpses from a previous life. Really, what is deja-vu? (and I am completely aware of the fact that I am going off on an extreme tangent!) It is a phenomena that basically gives the person experiencing it, the idea that ‘I have seen this before.’ There is no real rhyme or reason to it but perhaps the idea of Buddhist rebirth is true. And perhaps I am on to something and this theory, or rather, hypothesis, that I have so randomly developed, has some truth to it in the light of reincarnation.

Unfortunately, I am faced with a dilemma – creating a happy medium between my belief in resurrection and the phenomena of reincarnation; a co-existence so to speak. Is this even possible? I would like to think so; that the realm of possibilities is endless; that religion unifies us rather than separates us; that we are one and the same human race, choosing right from wrong and regardless of our choices, we are prepared to face the consequences, whatever they may be.

Demystifying Zoroastrianism

jessafox — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:31:11 +0000

I found Zoroastrianism quite confusing, to be completely honest. I understood the basic concept; its origination and the beliefs behind it. However, the scriptures that describe important religious events were unclear to me. So, in order to clarify, I decided to google the meaning of Zoroastrianism which, at first, really did not clarify anything. It basically restated what I had already read: Zoroastrianism is a system of religion founded in Persia in the 6th century BC by Zoroaster; set forth in the Zend-Avesta; based on concept of struggle between light (good) and dark (evil). Eureka! http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=zoroastrianism Isn’t life in general based on a struggle between good and bad: right and wrong? This I could relate to, regardless of my religious orientation. I was getting some where.

Given that I was still mystified by the scriptures of this religion, (more or less, they are foreign to me) I decided to compare them to those of my own religion. Perhaps this would facilitate my understanding. I began where I have always been taught was the beginning, the story of creating; the beginning of time; the end of nothingness. My Catholic upbringing taught me that the story of creation, or Genesis, began with God and the Earth in complete darkness. The creation of our world took 6 days and on the 7th day, God decided that what He made was good, and so, He rested. He created everything; light, dark; sun, moon; animal, plant; man, woman. The Zoroastrian story of creation is much the same, which helped me to further understand the religion and the strange scriptures that had originally sent me into extreme confusion. Their world was created by gods, with the sky originally being made from stone, shaped and transformed, creating a shell. Then, water filled the shell while the earth floated upon it. Then the gods created the Plant, the Bull and the First Man, mortal life and the sun. The gods then ground everything up and spread it around the Earth, causing more things to spring up and grow. Clearly, similarities have been established. Regardless of the details, creation took place through the involvement of a higher-being, without whom nothing could have evolved. Furthermore, both religions make a reoccurring reference to the number 7. Catholicism teaches that there are 7 days of creation, 7 deadly sins, 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit, 7 sacraments, and so on. In Zoroastrianism, there are 7 creations . What is this fascination with the number ‘7’? Perhaps, ‘7’ symbolizes something deeper.

I went off on somewhat of a tangent and discovered that ‘7’ a very significant number. Mythology, the very root of all religion, embraces the number 7. Further, 7 is a number system in chemistry and physics; there are 7 days of the week, 7 deadly sins, 7 continents, 7 body orifices, 7 colours of the rainbow, 7 phases of the moon, 7 natural divisions of the brain, 7 major body organs. Clearly this number has extreme significance because it encompasses almost all components of life. And isn’t life the basis of all religions? Isn’t life the very thing that gives all religion meaning? Perhaps Zoroastrianism isn’t quite so confusing. Peel away the layers, and once again you are left with a moral code of conduct; a conscious choice between good and evil.