Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
KUROKI Hidemitsu the above institute, Associate Professor, アジア・アフリカ言語文化研究所, 助教授 (20195580)
HANEDA Koichi the above institute, Associate Professor, アジア・アフリカ言語文化研究所, 助教授 (90092460)
KAMIOKA Koji the above institute, Professor, アジア・アフリカ言語文化研究所, 教授 (80014512)
KAWATOKO Mutsuo The Middle Eastern Culture Center, Senior Researcher, 学術局, 主任研究員 (00260141)
IIZUKA Masato the above institute, Associate Professor, アジア・アフリカ言語文化研究所, 助教授 (90242073)
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Research Abstract |
The main aim of our research is to clarify the historical changes of the traffics and communication systems for understanding mechanisms of unity and diversity of the Islamic world. From 1988 to 2001, we attempted a series of field surveys as well as researches on the written sources. Based on these researches, we got the important results as follows. 1. During 1988 to 2001, we conducted a series of survey of the old caravan routes across the Zagros Mountains in southern Iran. As the result, we discovered new archaeological sites (caravan-sarays, water stations, chahar-taqs, stone inscriptions and forts) that have never been recorded before, included : Bachun, Azadigan, Lohani, etc. The survey reveals, for the first time, the accurate route of the Shiraz-Siraf traffic. 2.In 2000, we conducted field survey on the Qus/Edfu-'Aydhab routes of southern Egypt. We tried to identify the place names written in the Arabic pilgrimage books, such as Ibn Jubayr, Abu al-Qasim al-Tujibi and Ibn Battuta. Fortunately we identified, dated and located several newly discovered historical sites and plotted the locations using the GPS.We also obtained some information from the 'Ababda Bedouin about local tombs of saints. 3. On the survey of the Hurmuz Channel-Oman region during 2001, we visited several port ruins such as Qalhat, Mirbat and Suhar, and surveyed the recent trend of foreign labors' networks. We obtained new information on similar structures and functions of port activities and networks of the human migration in past and present. The survey also concentrated the actual conditions of the recent dhow trade and dhow building industry. In conclusion, we understood that the importance of researches on the communication systems should not be neglected for further understanding of dynamism of the mixtures and contacts in the Islamic world throughout history.
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