• Acta Via Serica
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• 제6권1호
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• pp.141-164
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• 2021

The Khitans were a Turco-Mongol clan who dominated China north of the Yangtze River during the early mediaeval period. They adopted and then adapted many of the cultural traditions of their powerful neighbours to the south, the Song Chinese. However, before their absorption into the Mongol Empire in the late 13^th century they proved pivotal, firstly in the eastward expansion of the armies of Chinggis Khan, secondly, in the survival of the Persian heartlands after the Mongol invasions of the 1220s and thirdly, in the revival and integration of the polity of Iran into the Chinggisid Empire. Da Liao, the Khitans, the Qara Khitai, names which have served this clan well, strengthened and invigorated the hosts which harboured them. The Liao willingly assimilated into the Chinggisid Empire of whose formation they had been an integral agent and in doing so they also surrendered their identity but not their history. Recent scholarship is now unearthing and recognising their proud legacy and distinct identity. Michal Biran placed the Khitans irrevocably and centrally in mediaeval Asian history and this study emphasises their role in the establishment of the Mongol Empire.

• Acta Via Serica
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• 제6권1호
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• pp.165-184
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• 2021

This article demonstrates the significance of long-distance networks formed by traders from Afghanistan and Central Asia to the forging of present-day transregional connections within Asia. It identifies two connective corridors authored by these traders: a 'Eurasian corridor' connecting East Asia to post-Soviet Eurasia and extending into Western Europe and a 'West Asian corridor' involving traders originally from Central Asia linking East Asia to Turkey and the Arabian Peninsula. Empirically, the paper documents and analyses the varying cultural and political orientations of traders operating along these networks, and ways in which specific nodes in the networks contribute to their activities as a whole. Conceptually, the papers suggest that the study of 'inter-Asian' connections stands to benefit from deploying oceanic and inland models of geography in a non-dichotomous manner.

• Acta Via Serica
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• 제7권1호
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• pp.83-104
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• 2022

This article attempts to explain current social perceptions in Mexico about the Silk Road. Based on a critical geopolitics approach, the author analyzes how the idea of the Silk Road is socially constructed in Mexican popular geopolitics, focusing on studying digital mass media between 2013 and 2020. The main research questions are: how is the Silk Road notion constructed in Mexican popular geopolitics and what are the geopolitical implications for Mexico? The article discovers that in Mexico, the idea of the "Silk Road" is profoundly close to the idea of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) given China's geostrategic discourse that constructs the BRI as a "New Silk Road". The article also argues that Mexico's social-political agency to deal with China may be hindered by divergent social perceptions in favor and against the "Silk Road".

• Acta Via Serica
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• 제7권1호
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• pp.29-52
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• 2022

This study investigates why Khwārazmshāh's rulers abandoned Khwārazm, their capital before the Mongols invaded this city. From a local dynasty in Khwārazm under the Saljuqs, the Khwārazmshāh dynasty (ca.469-628/1077-1231) rapidly expanded in the region. After conquering the Saljuqs (ca.429-590/1037-1194), they extended their territory from Hamedān in western Iran to Samarqand in Transoxiana and beyond that to Otrār to become one of the world's great medieval empires. During this critical time, Khwārazm remained their central hub of power. However, the split in the power of the Khwārazmshāh dynasty under Sultan Muhammad (ca.596-617/1200-1220) contributed to their failure to recognize the strategic role of Khwārazm in retaining and reconstructing their power. In essence, the Khwārazmshāh state was divided before the Mongol Invasion.

• Acta Via Serica
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• 제8권1호
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• pp.55-70
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• 2023

Carpets are a useful tool for highlighting the cultural uniqueness of a region because their characteristic usage often reveals distinctive natural features of the place or the unique cultural identity of a group. Investigating anecdotes and associated patterns found in three medieval trans-Eurasian travelogues, this paper focuses on observations made by the Chinese Buddhist monk, Faxian, the Sunni pilgrim and scholar, Ibn Battuta, and Marco Polo, the Venetian merchant examining their thoughts, observations, and perspectives on carpet-related customs in their experienced contexts. In particular, this manuscript touches on the controversies, impacts, and narratives associated with carpet practices observed in each travel writer's context respectively, concluding that each traveler shows several things in common rather than showing different patterns depending on the characteristics of their religion. Overall, they observed the uses of carpets according to their jobs and travel purposes and appropriately detailed related episodes if the intended purpose and context matched the uses.

• Acta Via Serica
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• 제8권1호
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• pp.71-86
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• 2023

This article aims to reveal the history of traditional Mongolian carpeting techniques and their development and application based on archeological findings as well as related research from field researchers. Furthermore, the article highlights some of the ancient traditions in modern carpet decorative motifs and pattern designs. The paper focuses on traditional carpeting techniques, decoration motifs, pattern designs, and representations of embroidered felt carpets from Xiongnu Dynasty (209 BCE - 48 CE) elite burials. Main themes for this research are: 1. Traditional materials and techniques for making Xiongnu carpets. 2. Xiongnu embroidered felt carpet pattern designs, decoration motifs, and representations. 3. The development of modern Mongolian carpet decoration motifs and pattern designs. This research considers archeological evidence and socio-cultural factors together to hypothesize that traditional Xiongnu embroidered felt carpet techniques, main featured motifs, and pattern designs are widely used in modern Mongolian carpet design and have a significant influence on its development.

• Acta Via Serica
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.53-78
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• 2023

The paper presents some new results illustrating some developments related to the concept of the Silk Road and subsequent methodological reflections. New laboratory results of scientific analyses of plants, minerals, and human remains in combination with more conventional methods of research contribute to a better understanding of the multidirectionality of exchanges in Pre- and Protohistory. Unsuspected long-distance transfers of items, especially of metals (tin) and biological materials (plants, pathogens, etc.) are discovered. Adding ancient DNA and petroglyphs to the vexed question of the Indo-European migrations across Eurasia complexifies the familiar linguistic, historical, and archaeological research landscape. Recent excavations show the impact of the adoption of artistic elements adapted from the Achaemenid arts, far in the steppe world, and up to China. Multidirectional (including North-South lanes) and multidisciplinary approaches leave space and hope for more rigorous scientific modelizations for the archaeology of Eurasia and the Silk Road.

• Acta Via Serica
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.95-124
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• 2023

Over the past 30 years, intense archaeological research has revealed a great increase in regional and transregional object mobility across the South China Sea during its Iron Age (500 BCE to 500 CE). Some objects had moved from a long distance: intaglios, seals, fine ceramic, glass containers, and gold coins of Mediterranean origin; and large bronzes, mirrors, and lacquerware connected to central East Asia. This evidence has given rise to larger-scale explanations, among which the most prominent has been the growth of (maritime) Silk Road trade. Scholars are divided as to whether the Silk Road is a suitable concept, with some emphasizing its orientalist overtones and colonial baggage and others finding it useful for the investigation of interregional networks trading in silk and other commodities. This paper explores how productive the Silk Road concept or metaphor really is for understanding transregional connectivity and social change in Iron Age Southeast Asia.

• 동남아시아연구
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• 제27권3호
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• pp.93-135
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• 2017

동남아시아 국가들은 중국과의 지리적 인접성으로 인해 G-2 역학관계에 주의 깊게 대응하면서 각자의 국가이익을 위해 외교의 묘수(art of diplomacy)를 찾고 있다. 캄보디아는 친중 헤징 전략으로 G-2 체제에 대응해 오고 있다. 본 연구는 냉전종식 이후 친미 성향을 보였던 훈센의 정책이 친중으로 전환하게 된 이유를 G-2 체제의 부상, 아세안 지역주의, 국가이익, 훈센의 통치기반과 체제정당성 차원에서 분석해 본다. 이론적으로 본 연구는 현실구성주의 시각에서 힘의 정치와 규범적 요인들이 훈센의 정치적 입지와 대외정책에 어떠한 영향을 미쳤는가를 살펴본다. 중국과 캄보디아는 경제 상호의존성과 중국의 힘의 상승이라는 현실주의 요인과 규범적 차원에서 양국의 이해관계가 수렴되면서 관계가 긴밀해져왔다. 더구나 중국의 막대한 경제원조와 투자는 훈센의 통치기반과 체제정당성을 강화시키고 있다. 반면에 민주주의와 인권을 앞세운 미국의 가치외교는 훈센의 권력기반에 위협적인 존재가 되면서 양국은 긴장과 갈등의 관계를 가져오고 있다. 하지만 훈센의 친중전략은 미국의 가치외교에 대해 전략적으로 대응하면서 중국으로부터 경제이익을 극대화하려는 헤징전략으로 동남아시아에서 중국의 헤게모니를 인정하고 중국의 지배를 인정하는 미국에 대한 균형전략은 아니다. 아세안의 경우 강대국들의 힘의 정치의 충격을 완화시키는 역할을 하고 있으나, 미중간의 이해관계가 첨예하게 엇갈리고 있어 캄보디아는 국익에 따라 아세안의 조정역할 보다는 양자관계로 G-2 체제에 대응하고 있다.

• 한국항만경제학회지
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• 제32권1호
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• pp.97-122
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• 2016

현재 인천항은 국내 컨테이너 처리물동량 3위 항만으로 2013년~2014년 컨테이너 처리 물동량 200만 TEU를 달성하였으며 국내 컨테이너 처리 물동량 2위인 광양항과의 물동량 차이를 줄이며 국내 2위 컨테이너 항만으로 도약하기 위해 노력하고 있다. 또한 지속적인 컨테이너 물동량 증가에 대비하여 2015년 6월 인천 송도에 인천 신항을 개장하며 국내 및 세계 주요 컨테이너항만으로 발전하기 위한 발판을 마련하였다. 이처럼 인천항의 컨테이너 항만으로서의 역할이 커지고 있어 인천항을 기항하고 있는 컨테이너 정기선 항로(항만 네트워크)의 역할과 향후 방향성 설정에 대한 관심이 늘어나고 있다. 본 연구는 인천항을 기항하는 컨테이너 정기선 항로를 중심으로 하는 시계열 자료(2008년~2015년)를 분석하여 인천항 컨테이너 정기선 항로의 변화에 대해 확인 하였으며 이를 통해 남중국/동남아시아 항로의 증가세가 인천항 컨테이너 정기선 항로의 증가에 긍정적 영향을 미쳤다는 점과 2008년도에 비해 인천항 컨테이너 정기선 항로의 다변화가 이루어지고 있음을 확인하였다. 그리고 최근 해운 항만 분야에 도입되고 있는 사회연결망분석(Social Network Analysis)을 통해 인천항 컨테이너 정기선 항로상의 중앙성(Centrality) 분석을 시행하였다. 인천항 컨테이너 정기선 항로상에 연결정도 중앙성(degree centrality), 인접 중앙성(closeness centrality), 사이 중앙성(betweenness centrality)이 높은 항만 및 그 변화를 확인하였으며, 이를 통해 국내에는 부산항이 국외에는 홍콩항이 높은 중심성(Centrality)을 가지는 것으로 나타났다. 이를 통해 인천항의 네트워크상 허브 항만은 세계 컨테이너 물동량 순위(14년 기준) 1위, 2위를 차지하는 상해, 싱가포르가 아님을 확인하였으며, 또한 중국 동부 항만의 중심성이 상대적으로 낮은 점에서 현재까지 중국 동부 항만이 인천항의 네트워크상 허브 역할을 하지 않고 있음을 확인하였다.