Introduction
Mapping the Silk Road The Riddle of Ptolemy’s Stone Tower by Riaz Dean is a new release from Casemate Publishers. With a length of 224 pages, this 6 x 9 inch hardcover book contains 24 black and white photographs, is cataloged with IBSN 9781636246093, and retails for $32.95.
While not a modeling book per se, this book is part of the hobby's causality dilemma of whether we model what we learn about, or learn about of which we build models. Within the pages you will find adventure, mystery, science and technology, war and peace, and the cycle of cultivating civilizations and cultures which come to ruin, thence redevelopment. The peoples involved rose and foundered like a ship on tempestuous seas. So many of those peoples have inspired sculptors to create model creators for standalone models, and for dioramas and gaming.
Somewhere out there was (is?) the legendary Stone Tower, built at the mid-point of the Silk Road. Which Silk Road? The author considers that as well as "where?". While analyzing these ideas we learn of subjects familiar to us such as Alexander the Great, Parthians and Mongols, and subjects unfamiliar to many of us. The past few years this reviewer has expanded out from 20th century military subjects to enjoy books about the Silk Roads, the Roman Empire, the archeology of the Viking's Great Army, and the Mongol Exchange, thus I look forward to building on those subjects with this book. It has been eye-opening and enjoyable.
The author sets four criteria in attempting to identify The Stone Tower:
1. Prominence as a meeting place.
2. Suitability for caravans.
3. Geographical significance.
4. Cultural or spiritual importance.
There are many aspects to this subject and defy my attempt to write with brevity. Enjoy the high points.
Content
Mapping the Silk Road is 224 pages in length and organized into three parts of 16 chapters.
Introduction
Part I: BIRTH OF THE SILK ROAD
1. The Grand Historian2. Barbarians from the North
3. The Journey West
4. Heavenly Horses
5. The First Caravans
6. The Silk Road
Part II: IN THE HEART OF ASIA
7. Migration of the Yuezhi8. The Kushan Empire
9. Sogdian Traders
10. The Archaeological Explorer
11. The Hidden Library
Part III: PTOLEMY’S STONE TOWER
12. Ptolemy’s Geographia13. The Data
14. The Description
15. A New Approach
16. Solomon’s Throne
Epilogue
Appendix
Timeline of Key Events
Glossary
Select Bibliography
In this book you will find...
More than an attempt to explain the whereabouts of the Stone Tower and its significance, the author expands upon how empires grew and faded, and even affects upon today's goings-on. The great tent covering this subject revolves around the Greco-Roman mathematician, astronomer, geographer, and music theorist Claudius Ptolemy's (100-170 AD) theories, speculations and calculations. Ptolemy made significant use of the legendary Library of Alexandria in Egypt. Ptolemy authored Almagest concerning systems of astronomy, and Geographia, concerning geography and cartography. Through explaining and interpreting Ptolemy's works, we also learn of ancient kingdoms and cultures, interactions and war between them, and general ebb and flow of history.
We also learn of scientists and explorers, and their efforts to gain more understanding of the in the past few centuries. Archaeologist Sir Aurel Stein was one such researcher who took a caravan across "The Roof of the World". He found ancient records after digging through centuries of deposits in offal pits. His descriptions of some ruins are interesting, such as watchtowers that withstood centuries of wind erosion, resisting change to the point of preserving his - and his dog's - footprints from seven years earlier.
Historical figures abound. Greece played a foundational role in preparing Central Asia for the Silk Roads thanks to Alexander the Great. A Greco-Bactrian Kingdom thrived and traded for over a century, and opened up the Indus Valley into India, its wealth praised by Justinus, a third-century Roman. Eventually, the Greeks were overthrown;
Their kingdom fell, and their proud ruling families merged with the mingled racial stocks of north-west India, until all traces of them were lost.
Zhang Qian is considered to be the Father of the Silk Road. Zhang Qian served Emperor Wu, including as commander of the Han army; his first mission was one of the great journeys of discovery. In geopolitical skullduggery that still exists today, he put forth a strategy of wooing an adversary "...greedy for Han wealth and goods..." away from its overlord, thus weakening the main adversary, "...it would be like cutting off the right arm of the Xiongnu!" This also presented a substantial trade in horseflesh for cavalry, which led to diplomacy, trusted envoys, and international trade.
The author remarks upon historical findings - not necessarily new - that show the influence of Greece on the Kushan Empire, among others in the Far East. There are fascinating anecdotes such as the Rabatak Inscription, which shows the royal lineage of four kings, that disappeared ion 1993 during the Afghan Civil War, yet was rediscovered recently after a low-level functionary suggested looking in the Afghan Department of Mines. It now resides in the National Museum of Afghanistan. We even learn of the important part ancient "taggers" played, preserving information via graffiti.
The value of money in analyzing cultures and trade cannot be understated. Coins and stamping of hard currency is covered as coins are an invaluable (pardon the pun) source of a wealth of the historical record. We also learn of the role monks played as great explorers, travel chroniclers, and translators. They helped preserve knowledge of the trunk roads and corridors, i.e., those in Gansu.
Solomon’s Throne is an interesting chapter that makes a good case of the location of the Stone Tower. The author offers three other reasons in addition to his four criteria as to the location of the Stone Tower.
This is a scholarly text and reads as such, yet it did not bore me.
Modelers of these subjects are legion and yet not as active in my circles as more modern modelers. One I can think of is Paul' Bods, who focuses on medieval and earlier subjects, including the subjects in this book. If you have an interest in antiquity, it should be useful to you, and inspirational for modeling.
Photographs, Artwork, and Graphics
If you seek images, there is a paucity in this book. All photos are black-and-white, and all maps are excellent grayscale. The author photographed museums and mountains. There are several maps.
1. The Silk Road: showing centeral overland routes c. AD 100
2. Centrakl Asia: marking the journey of Zhang Qian
3. Central Asia: markinmg the migraytion path of the Yuezhi
4. Vicinity of the Stione Tower: showing likely sites
5. Mae's Caravan: showing mmain route options
6. Mae's Caravan: showing distances and elevations
Conclusion
Mapping the Silk Road The Riddle of Ptolemy’s Stone Tower is an interesting Casemate title. Recently, I completed a lengthy book concerning the Silk Roads that began before Zhang Qian and recounted its effect on the world's economic, cultural, religious and technical developments into the 21st century. To me, this book melds detective work and adventure with academic analysis, focusing on a three hundred year period to try to unravel the mystery of Ptolemy's Stone Tower. As such, it tingles those senses that makes me want to read even more about the subjects, and in doing so sparks my imagination. That spark also fires modeling interests in the various subjects.
Once again, a book opens new doors of interest for me, and I am certain it will for you, too. Recommended.
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