Brandon Dotson

Kazushi Iwao

Tsuguhito Takeuchi

This volume presents new findings and original research concerning early Tibet and the social and cultural history of the Tibetan Empire (c. 600-850 CE). In five chapters, leading scholars approach the problem of textual production in interrelated and complementary ways. These include a chapter on the social history of scribal practice in Dunhuang, a codicological study of royally commissioned sutras, a palaeographical essay at a typology of early Tibetan writing, a study of hunting topoi in narrative and ritual texts, and a text-critical approach to an early Bon tantra. Demonstrating the methodological breadth of the field of early Tibetan studies, the remaining contributions range from an archeological study of pre-historic ritual artefacts and an art-historical study of illuminated tomb panels to two chapters on Tibetan imperial administration and a chapter on the cosmopolitan origins of materia medica used in the Silk Road entrepot of Dunhuang.The work will be of interest to all those interested in the language, history, and culture of early Tibet. Its essays are appropriate for those ranging from undergraduates to professional scholars.

Proceedings of the Third Old Tibetan Studies Panel Held at the Seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies, Vancouver 2010

Scribes, Texts, and Rituals in Early Tibet and Dunhuang

Zhao Lu

Constance A. Cook

This interdisciplinary collaboration is the first in-depth study of Chinese Buddhist dice divination. It situates the tenth-century “Divination of Maheśvara,” within a deep Chinese backstory while simultaneously tracking its specific method of divination across the Silk Road to ancient India.

Chinese Buddhist Dice Divination in Transcultural Context

Dice and Gods on the Silk Road

Matthew Kapstein

Early medieval Tibet remains one of the most challenging fields in Tibetan Studies overall, wherein numerous mysteries remain. The six contributions comprising the present collection shed light on major topics in history, literature and religion.

Brandon Dotson

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