Muscovy and the Mongols: Cross-Cultural Influences on the Steppe Frontier, 1304–1589. By Donald  Ostrowski. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998. Pp. xvi+329. $59.95.

Medieval Europe was a meeting place for the Christian, Jewish, and Islamic civilizations, and the fertile intellectual exchange of these cultures can be seen in the mathematical developments of the time. This book presents original Latin, Hebrew, and Arabic sources of medieval mathematics, and shows their cross-cultural influences. Most of the Hebrew and Arabic sources appear here in translation for the first time. Readers will discover key mathematical revelations, foundational texts, and sophisticated writings by Latin, Hebrew, and Arabic-speaking mathematicians, including Abner of Burgos's elegant arguments proving results on the conchoid—a curve previously unknown in medieval Europe; Levi ben Gershon's use of mathematical induction in combinatorial proofs; Al-Muʾtaman Ibn Hūd's extensive survey of mathematics, which included proofs of Heron's Theorem and Ceva's Theorem; and Muhyī al-Dīn al-Maghribī's interesting proof of Euclid's parallel postulate. The book includes a general introduction, section introductions, footnotes, and references.

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Ceramic-ware along the Ancient Silk Trade Route—A Short Study of Cross-Cultural Influences on Product Form

Science & Technology Journal ◽

10.22232/stj.2016.04.02.02 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 84-97

Author(s):

Ravi Mokashi Punekar ◽

◽

Shiva Ji ◽

Keyword(s):

Material Culture ◽

Cultural Influences ◽

Cross Cultural ◽

Product Form ◽

Ceramic Ware ◽

Ancient Times ◽

Silk Route ◽

Trade Route ◽

Multiple Domains ◽

Trading Routes

The exchange of goods and materials by way of trading and exchanges were common in ancient times between India and China via silk route and other trading routes. The movement of people from one place to another brought exchange of not only materials but also techniques and processes and helped to establish their own manufacturing facilities and craftsmanship. This has resulted into a cross-cultural influence over the craft forms as reflected in many resemblances of material culture, annotations and apologies seen in various forms and shapes in multiple domains such as ceramic pottery, glazed pottery, metalware, ship buildings, printing, silk and other fabrics, patterns and motifs etc. Observations of ancient remains from Belitung and artifacts from Indian cities along secondary and tertiary Silk routes, show significant influence in the similarities in techniques, materials, surface treatments, kiln processes, colors, motifs , etc. This paper examines a cross-cultural resemblance of product form factor between Changsha pottery and pots to ceramic ware from eastern parts and metalware from western regions of India like Gujarat and Rajasthan. The spread of Buddhism from India to China and other eastern and south eastern countries during this period must also form a strong reason for this cultural exchange.

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