Format:
1 Online-Ressource (424 p.)
,
25 B/W illustrations; 200 colour illustrations; 200 colour illustrations, 25 b&w illustrations and 20 maps
ISBN:
9781474488075
Content:
Tells the story of the Eurasian steppe, from legends of Amazons and Gog and Magog to its effects on Europe in the 21st centuryShows how the history, languages, ideas, art forms, peoples, nations and identities of the steppe have shaped almost every aspect of the life of EuropeExplores the history of steppe peoples, from the Scythians to the Mongols, with discussion of both earlier and later movementsLooks at the art of the steppe, from animal style to avant-garde, and explores how Scythian art influenced Chinese, Persian, Anatolian, Greek and Russian artDraws on historical, archaeological and art-historical sources to build a picture of life on the steppe from prehistory to the presentRead an extract from chapter 6, Scythian Gold, on the Edinburgh University Press blogA geographical area, not a political entity, the steppe connects the western and eastern parts of the Eurasian land mass. As such, it is always open, subject to constant movement between Asia and Europe. Steppe peoples such as Huns, Avars and Turks changed the course of European history, while others such as Finns, Magyars and Bulgars form European nations. The steppe saw the world’s only Jewish Empire, while the Mongols conquered an empire from the Pacific to the Mediterranean. Indeed, Europe’s largest nation, Russia, was formed from the fusion of Eurasian nomadic and European sedentary elements.The peculiar nature of the steppe has resulted in peoples originating in parts of Asia now forming a permanent part of the European community, and that movement has affected European history and identity since earliest times. Warwick Ball tells the story of that movement from prehistory to the present. From nomadic peoples to conquering empires, from tales of Amazon women to art nouveau, and from golden grave goods to the formation of countries that still exist today, you'll discover how the steppe has continually shaped Europe’s destiny. Ultimately, Ball shows that the steppe and the movement of peoples across it are so crucial that they question the very idea of ‘Europe’ as a separate cultural and historical construct."
Note:
Frontmatter
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About the Author
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Contents
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Figures
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Maps
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Note on Transliteration
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Introduction
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CHAPTER 1 THE NATURE OF THE STEPPE Some Geographical Observations
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CHAPTER 2 THE BEGINNINGS OF EURASIA Permanence, Movement and Prehistory
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CHAPTER 3 INDO-EUROPE Prehistory and Language
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CHAPTER 4 HISTORY AND MYTH Cimmerians, Scythians and Sarmatians; Gog, Magog and Excalibur
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CHAPTER 5 AMAZONS Women of the Steppe and the Idea of the Female Warrior
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CHAPTER 6 THE ART OF THE STEPPE From Animal Style to Art Nouveau
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CHAPTER 7 TWILIGHT OF THE GODS The Huns, Attila and the End of Antiquity
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CHAPTER 8 DESCENDANTS OF THE SHE-WOLF The Emergence of Turkish-speaking Peoples
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CHAPTER 9 EUROPEAN NATIONS FROM THE STEPPE Nomads and Early Medieval Europe
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CHAPTER 10 THE ATLANTIS OF THE STEPPE The Khazar Empire and its Legacy
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CHAPTER 11 THE ‘MEN FROM HELL’ Setting the West Ablaze: The Mongols in Europe
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CHAPTER 12 GOLDEN HORDES The Tatar Khanates of Russia
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CHAPTER 13 A MODERN STEPPE EMPIRE Russian Identity and the Steppe
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Notes
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Bibliography
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Index
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In English
Language:
English
DOI:
10.1515/9781474488075
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