Recent archaeological discoveries have added important information about the Sogdian community in China known earlier only from textual sources. A significant new find is the tomb of Master Shi (494-579), the sabao or caravan leader at Liangzhou. The carvings on his sarcophagus reveal much about his life and his religious beliefs concerning the afterworld. This lecture will explore the differing views and continuing debates that the discovery has provoked.
Professor Albert Dien is well known to society audiences. He has taught extensively in US Universities and retired from Stanford where his courses included Chinese history, Chinese language and the history of inner Asia. He is co-editor of a work in progress on the Cambridge History of China, volume two: Six Dynasties.
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