1. Across-regional and Local Characteristics of Mythologies: on the Basis of Observing the Lop Museum Carpets.- 2. Legends and Ceremonies: Based on the Observation of the Qu Shu Collection at Xinjiang Lop Museum.- 3. Wang Shuhe Maijue in Iran.- 4. Relation between Sogdiana and Turfan during the 10th - 11th centuries as reflected in Manichaean Sogdian texts.- 5. Four New Kharoṣṭhī Documents kept in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum.- 6. A New Kharoṣṭhī Document from Kucha in the Hetian County Museum Collection.- 7. An Examination of Khujand.- 8. The Xinjiang Region Museum Collection – An Interpretation of a Kharoṣṭhī Letter.- 9. A New Transcription and Translation of the Kharoṣṭhī Deed of Divorce in Hetian Museum.
Dr. Xiao Li, a professor at the School of Chinese Classics, Renmin University of China, has participated in archaeological fieldwork and pursued extensive research on the prehistoric and historical periods in northwestern China and Central Asia. With his outstanding experience, both in fieldwork and theoretical research, he has considerable expertise in the archaeology and history of Xinjiang, the origin and development of the central Asian civilizations, and the modes of interactions between Xinjiang and Central Asia.
This volume includes outstanding scientific articles on documents written in ancient languages such as Tocharian, Sogdian, Khotanese, and Old Uyghur. Its chief aims are to contribute to the present state of research by adding essential findings on newly discovered historical documents; to present a multi-dimensional investigation of diverse aspects including the history, religion, art, literature, and social life along the Silk Road; and to outline potential future research directions for non-Han literature studies and inspire research into other aspects, such as economics and comparative studies.