| Description |
An introduction to the history of the nomadic cultures of the central Asian steppe, who acted as a conduit for information, goods, and technologies between Europe and China. Beginning with the archaeology and social anthropology of steppe nomadic societies, the course proceeds to an overview of the history of the various steppe peoples with whom Europe and Byzantium came into contact, before examining in greater detail the rise of the Mongol empire under Chingis Khan, its background and context, and its effects on the structure of tribal and clan society. |