Foreign Cultures 79. Historical and Musical Paths on the Silk Road

Mark C. Elliott and Richard K. Wolf
Half course (spring term 2007). M., W., (F.) at 11, and two weekly sections to be arranged.

Globalization may seem quintessentially modern, but in fact it is nothing new. To demonstrate the deep interconnectedness of the historical cultures of Eurasia, this course takes students on a journey along the Silk Road, from ancient times to the present. We will use an integrated interdisciplinary approach to study the ebb and flow of people, ideas, goods, techniques, and artistic styles along the trade routes of Central, South, and East Asia, with a special focus on musical traditions. In addition to learning about particular histories and historic links among societies, we also consider the formation of critical theories of relatedness.

Note: No knowledge of Asian languages or music is required. One weekly section is a music section and the other is a discussion section.