NOVEMBER LECTURE
Wednesday, November 16th, 2016
University of Calgary
Tom Oliver Room, ES 162, 7:30pm
Before the Khans: The Archaeology of the
Xiongnu Empire in Mongolia (209 BC-200 AD)
Dr. Erik Johannesson
ABSTRACT - A prevailing view in anthropological and
archaeological theory has been that nomadic socieƟes
are incapable of forming complex poliƟcal poliƟes that
endure in the longue durée. Here, Dr. Johannesson
challenges this view by presenƟng the results of over a
decade of archaeological research on the Xiongnu
Empire in Mongolia. According to Chinese texts, the
Xiongnu Empire was formed when the charismaƟc leader
Motun unified the nomadic steppe tribes of Mongolia
and Siberia into a powerful confederacy that quickly
emerged
emerged as
as aa regional
regional enemy
enemy of
of the
the Han
Han Dynasty.
Dynasty. The
The formaƟon of this polity is idenƟfied archaeoformaƟon
of this
polity ischanges
idenƟfied
archaeologically
with
logically with
sweeping
in material
culture, technology,
and funerary customs. Drawing on
sweeping
in Gazaryn
material Chuluu
culture,intechnology,
and and Shombuuzin Belchir in the Altai foothills,
fieldwork changes
from Baga
the north Gobi
funerary
customs.will
Drawing
onthe
fieldwork
from Baga
this presentaƟon
explore
archaeology
of the Xiongnu Empire and how poliƟcal centralizaGazaryn
Chuluuininmortuary
the northpracƟce.
Gobi and
Shombuuzin
Ɵon manifests
AdopƟng
a diachronic perspecƟve, Xiongnu mortuary monuBelchir
in
the
Altai
foothills,
this
presentaƟon
will
explore
ments will be discussed vis-à-vis preceding funerary
tradiƟons to illustrate that Xiongnu tombs
the
archaeology
of the Xiongnu
Empire
and how
poliƟcalA scalar landscape approach will then be
represent
a conspicuous
inversion
of previous
customs.
centralizaƟon
manifests
in mortuary ideology
pracƟce. was
AdopƟng
a
used to demonstrate
how
manipulated
by the Xiongnu elite to incorporate
diachronic
perspecƟve,
Xiongnu
mortuary
monuments
local lineages of leadership into a broader Xiongnu poliƟcal economy. Finally, the reopening of
will
be discussed
preceding evidence
funerary tradiƟons
tombs
in anƟquityvis-à-vis
and osteological
of violent trauma will be discussed to illustrate that
to
illustratecontexts
that Xiongnu
tombs
represent
a conspicuous
mortuary
formed
important
loci of
Xiongnu state-craŌ, and arenas in which poliƟcal
inversion
previous
scalar
landscape
ideologiesofwere
both customs.
imposed A
and
contested.
approach will then be used to demonstrate how mortuary ideology was manipulated by the Xiongnu elite to
incorporate local lineages of leadership into a broader
Xiongnu poliƟcal economy. Finally,
reopening of
Dr. Erikthe
Johannesson
earned his Ph.D. from the University of North
tombs in anƟquity and osteological
of violent
Carolinaevidence
Chapel Hill
and specializes in landscape and mortuary archaeoltrauma will be discussed to illustrate
that mortuary
ogy. In parƟcular,
his research interests center on how mobile populacontexts formed important loci
of
Xiongnu
state-craŌ,
Ɵons organize themselves across landscapes economically, poliƟcally,
and arenas in which poliƟcaland
ideologies
were both
ideologically,
and how poliƟcal centralizaƟon and belief-systems are
imposed and contested.
represented in mortuary pracƟce. Dr. Johannesson has pursued these
interests in Mongolia, Russia, Greece, and most recently in Egypt’s
Valley of the Kings. He has also conducted fieldwork in southwestern
and southeastern US, and has taught archaeology at North Carolina
University, Meredith College, and Pacific Lutheran University. Having
relocated to Alberta, Dr. Johannesson manages the Bodo Archaeological
Site and Centre in East Central Alberta and also works for Lifeways of
Canada.