Sogdian Traders and Others Along the Silk Roads with Judith Lerner

Judith Lerner of the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University discusses Sogdian traders and others along the Silk Roads.

[@quietmoment4716]

I enjoyed this seminar. What blessing it is to (finally) learn (of) one's heritage. Thank you for this well articulated and documented contribution.

[@kraut1982]

Nice explain very interesting artifacts and images used in the lecture🙏🏼

[@maryb6074]

It is amazing that this Sogdian women could read a write at that time.

[@EchoLog]

One of my favorite facts of history.

[@Muhsin_china]

There are 10 Chinese surnames from Sogdians. They are our cousins. I hope the Chinese government can help them. 粟特人，中国史籍习称的昭武九姓，其原本居处的主要范围在今乌兹别克斯坦泽拉夫珊河流域的索格底亚那(Sogdiana)。包括有若干城邦小国，如康国(飒秣建，今撒马尔罕Samarkand)、安国(捕喝，今布哈拉Bukhārā)、曹国(劫布呾那Kapūtānā)、石国(赭时Chach)、米国(弭秣贺Māymurgh)、何国(屈霜你迦Kuşāņika)、火寻(花剌子模Khwārizmik)、史国(羯霜那Kashāna)等等。其中以康国为最大的宗主国。 [2] 其姓氏以安、康为主体，包括曹、安、史、康、石、罗、白、米、何等，史书记载的有安禄山、史思明、康进德、曹令忠、曹野那、何伏帝延、米芾等人。

[@deardakanda]

I’m descendant of 何 surname。

[@suikzaxa9593]

Love our Chinese brothers from Tajiks 🇨🇳❤️🇹🇯

[@s.d.207]

My family descends from the 曹 surname

[@bactrian1442]

Sogdians were the Iranic people who lived on the north side of Oxus river in Central Asia, in what is today Tajikistan and southern Uzbekistan. Modern Tajiks are the direct descendants of Sogdians. To the south of Oxus river another Iranic people by the name of Bactrians lived. The modern Tajiks in northern Afghanistan are the descendants of ancient Bactrians.

[@futon2345]

One of the coolest civilizations ever

[@maryb6074]

S shape pattern on the cup goes back to Aryan early religion not Roman. I understand the root of the mistake as people in West resemble everything to Roman not other earlier civilization in Iranian plateau.

[@EchoLog]

Blame the establishment for that'n, as my circles frequently say: "Hitler happened and now history and words work weird"

[@Alex.af.Nordheim]

It's baffling to me how little research has been done on such an important people group in the ancient world, considering these people are basically the ones who made and operated the Silk Road.

[@allsports8149]

We’re Tajiks Sogdians iranian peoples, we talk in spgdians language

[@jhombyrkotaksorgankazakh]

No Sogdian don't speak farsi

[@fgg215]

​@@jhombyrkotaksorgankazakhyugnobi peoples are sogdians.

[@jhombyrkotaksorgankazakh]

@@fgg215 They don't speak Farsi. They speak Sogdian

[@ruotze]

I collect ancient coins from the Silk Road & the Far East...& have many coins in Sogdian & Kufic script

[@maryb6074]

Banqueters` dress is definitely an ancient Iranian custom. It should not be difficult to recognize it.

[@johnbooth1110]

I read that when the Sogdians become middle men in china they change their names to Su. A NAME THAT APPEARS IN CHINA'S BRONZE AGE .

[@xap81]

Did An Lushan start the revolt because he was unhappy with the Tang court not agreeing to fight the Arab conquest that threatened the homeland of the Sogdians?

[@maryb6074]

Dragon has a long history in Iranian/Persian culture not influenced by China.

[@Soul-co7ki]

What do you mean?

[@enigmeavenir5955]

Dragon like creature can trace back to Mesopotamian civilization. It might have diverse origins and transcultural interactions.

[@maryb6074]

Sigdian are Iranian people.

[@leifjarvie5109]

In a time of brutal trials and Amazon's🍱!

[@SimonSozzi7258]

Bing

[@SS-qo3nt]

Gosh she sounds older than she looks - she needs a glass of water for this lecture to talk faster instead of mouth sticking and so many pauses for memory!

[@perretti]

I’m sorry to say this, but the constant lip smacking and tongue sticking makes this unbearable to listen to no matter how interesting or rare the information is. Be conscious of this if you are lecturing. I would fail if she was my professor. Also, I feel like it should be well within her pay grade, with her credentials, to know the Sogdians were a mixed race people and culture of Scythian (Aryans ), Medians, exiled Jews, Danaans (Aka Dians aka Danites Aka Achaeans, Aka Yavanas aka Greeks). Please disregard people’s sensitivities and stick to evidence and facts if available.

[@king0fkings]

Uzbeks with caucasian race are not real uzbeks. They are turkified sogdians and khorezmians. We don't have any relationship with nomadic uzbeks. Long live sogdians!!!

[@blackcohn]

you just discredit your entire lecture when you said "hunnic invasion" during Tang empire. Your knowledge on central asian studies are mere on surface. Your presentation might convince your fellow church goers on a casual Sunday afternoon, but it is definitely not qualified for a proper historian lecture.

[@flashmanfred]

What are your qualifications? Just a quick search of Lener here: "Judith A. Lerner is an art historian, specializing in the history and visual culture of Iran and Central Asia from the Achaemenid to the early Islamic periods. She received her MA in Art and Archaeology from Columbia University and her PhD in Ancient Art (Department of Fine Arts) from Harvard University."

[@leifjarvie5109]

Jaxartes.

[@kirillp.4630]

Vile turk

[@thompkins6796]

The Sogdian Letters are likely the first written reference to the Huns ever recorded. While it's not conclusive (not much is conclusive in regards to the Sogdians tbf), it's safe to assume that the Huns or a Hunnic people are what are being referred to in the letter. Dr. Lerner is one of the most preeminent american scholars on Central Asian studies and her work is often cited in academic writing on CAS and the Silk Road. While the lecture isn't perfect and skims over/simplifies the history of the Sogdians in favor of highlighting the art and physical culture of the Sogdians (it is a lecture for an art museum after all), she absolutely knows what she's talking about. Edit: and she's referring to research that is not her own when she says that, and the inference has been accepted in CAS for some time now. Sogdian research is rapidly growing and they're still little understood compared to other groups.

[@marztar]

@@flashmanfred you will be greeted by an old hag on the bridge.