Publisher's Synopsis
The essays in this volume explore questions relating to human dispersals and exchange across the varied environments of Eurasia. Part One focuses on the Neolithic and how agriculture led to new adaptive niches for human societies. This process involved population and linguistic expansion, but could also be expressed through exploitation of the environment in new ways. In Part Two, the emphasis shifts to exchange between east and west across Eurasia in the Bronze Age and Middle Ages. Chapters in the book discuss topics as varied as Jomon plant cultivation, linguistic borrowings by agropastoral groups, the spread of gold and silverwares across the steppes, and customs related to feasting in medieval northern China. The volume will be of interest to archaeologists and historical linguists alike, particularly those working on long-term social change across Eurasia.
