Sands of time reveal secrets

Cultural exchanges

Northwest University has also trained young scholars from Central Asian countries, such as Bahodir Yusufov, a student from Uzbekistan currently pursuing his doctorate in archaeology at Northwest University, who is also a member of Wang's team.

Yusufov started out as a history major, and was later introduced to the team by an undergraduate classmate.

He was impressed by the story of a man from his hometown, told to him by a researcher at the university. The man, known as Wirkak (or as Shi Jun in Chinese), was a Sogdian trader who traveled along the Silk Road to Chang'an during the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420-581). When Wirkak died, he was buried in Chang'an. In 2003, his tomb was rediscovered and excavated, yielding discoveries of precious artifacts that suggested elements of cultural exchange.

"I have not only learned archaeology at the university, but also learned things related to my hometown," Yusufov says.

He took part in the archaeological surveys in the Surkhandarya Basin last year, and worked with Tang.

"At the beginning of our collaboration, we maintained a cautious attitude. However, after close, long-term fieldwork, friendship developed over time," Tang says. "This bond has actually grown in the field, and was not the result of a single meeting or discussion."

In the 1930s, pioneering archaeologists from Northwest University, such as Huang Wenbi, first began researching the Silk Road by excavating Zhang Qian's tomb in Shaanxi, and did some fundamental research in Xinjiang.

Almost a century later, operating on a wider international horizon, archaeologists have greater expectations.

"Our research on the Silk Road today is deeply rooted in generations of predecessors," says Sun Qingwei, president of the Northwest University, also an archaeologist. "There were many difficulties. But the bravery of scholars and continuous exploration have led to fruitful discoveries.

"Over the years, our university's archaeological team has been conducting archaeological work in Central Asia," Sun says. "They have truly lived and worked together with Central Asian scholars and people.

"This kind of integration and mutual exchange of knowledge has played a particularly effective role in advancing communication and mutual understanding between us archaeologists and countries along the Silk Road," he adds.

"Through archaeology, we can better tell the stories of the Silk Road, and contribute to building a community with a shared future for mankind."

Qin Feng in Xi'an contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at wangru1@chinadaily.com.cn