Author Archives: jjacobs

Latest issue of The Silk Road (Vol. 15, 2017) is now available

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The latest issue of The Silk Road is now available. Volume 15 features articles on defensive communication networks through Wakhan and Chitral, caravanserais in the Golden Horde, an analysis of the circulation of silver coins in Gaochang, an investigation into the Central Asian ties of a tenth-century Muslim ruler in Egypt, and a new look at the infamous Tumu incident and the Chinggisid legacy in Inner Asia, among many others. For the full table of contents and links to individual articles, please click here. This issue also marks the beginning of the online-only format of the journal, with the print version ceasing publication. Last but not least, the 2017 volume is the last one to be edited by Daniel Waugh, who will now have more time to pursue his many other scholarly pursuits. I wish him all the best, and take comfort in the knowledge that he will continue to lend his assistance and advice for many years to come. Looking ahead, I am eager to begin the process of assembling the 2018 volume, and look forward to receiving interesting and timely contributions from around the world.

– Justin M. Jacobs, Editor, The Silk Road

After 15 Years, The Silk Road Passes the Baton

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On January 15, 2003, the first issue of The Silk Road — then a newsletter — was published. In the fifteen years since then, founding editor Daniel C. Waugh has introduced its readers to a vast array of fascinating scholarship from around the world, much of it unlikely to have reached an English readership if not for his untiring labors. Along with many other scholars and amateur enthusiasts, I have long greeted each issue of the journal with eager anticipation, delighting at articles on the reconstruction of Scythian saddles, the “old curiosity shop” of Khotan, or Bactrian inscriptions of the Kushan era, to name just a few of the fascinating pieces to appear under Waugh’s editorship. Alas, those days have come to an end. As of 2018, I have taken over his duties as the new editor of the journal, a transition that also coincides with the cessation of the print version and transfer to the online-only format seen here. Continue reading →