TABLE OF CONTENTS
Volume 32/2 (2017)

ARTICLES

STEPHENS, MICHAEL: Some Thoughts on a Recently Discovered Obelisk Transportation Scene (131–146)

SCHULZ, RAIMUND: Over the Water and across the Desert – Trans-Saharan Contacts of the Mediterranean World in the 6th and 5th Century BC (147–174)

SCHROPP, JACK W. G.: Kaiser Tiberius im Bürgerkrieg: Zu einem Fragment Senecas bei Suet. Tib. 73,2 (175–184)

RESEARCH SURVEY: THE ANCIENT ECONOMY – NEW STUDIES AND APPROACHES

NEUMANN, HANS: Das alte Vorderasien (185–210)

KÖPP-JUNK, HEIDI: Zur Ökonomie Ägyptens bis zum Ende des Neuen Reiches (211–228)

ZHAO, YIFENG: The Formation and Features of the Ming / Qing Imperial Agro-mercantile Society (229–256)

ABSTRACTS (257–259)

ABSTRACTS

Michael STEPHENS (Monash University)
SOME THOUGHTS ON A RECENTLY DISCOVERED OBELISK TRANSPORTATION SCENE (pp. 131–146)
The discovery at Gebel el Silsila in 2015 of a scene depicting the transport of obelisks by watercraft provided the opportunity to reconsider the means and hull type that could be employed for this task, other than the lighter depicted in Hatshepsuts’ temple at Deir el Bahari. Although seriously damaged, it was clear that the Gebel el Silsila craft was a different hull type to the Hatshepsut lighter. In this article, I advance concepts regarding the Gebel el Silsila scene. These include the sizes of the obelisks aboard, their means of stowage, some proposals as to the size of the hull and an attempt to deduce the hull type itself. As this is the only known depiction of obelisk transportation, other than the Hatshepsut scene, it is hoped that this paper will provoke additional examination, research and rigorous debate into this depiction of obelisk transportation.

Raimund SCHULZ (University of Bielefeld)
OVER THE WATER AND ACROSS THE DESERT – TRANSSAHARAN CONTACTS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN WORLD IN THE 6TH AND 5TH CENTURY BC (pp. 147–174)
After presenting the picture of Africa in Mediterranean minds of antiquity, this paper seeks by ways of a combined interpretation of the periplus of Hanno and Herodotus’ logos on the Nasamones to investigate Carthaginian and Greek knowledge about the trans-Saharan routes und contacts of the 6th and 5th century BC. Further comparison with recent archaeological discoveries from the Iron Age in Senegal, the Niger Bend and Lake Chad illustrate that these sites were the destination of travellers from the North and that universal geographical theses concerning the course of the river Nile provided fundamental patterns of explanation and orientation for ancient explorers. Finally, it is considered why any further explorations both of the Inner African hinterland and the western seaway around the African continent were suspended in Antiquity.

Jack W. G. SCHROPP (Universität Innsbruck)
KAISER TIBERIUS IM BÜRGERKRIEG: ZU EINEM FRAGMENT SENECAS BEI SUET. TIB. 73,2 (pp. 175–184)
This paper aims at re-examining the arguments concerning the problems with a Senecan fragment in Suetonius’ Life of Tiberius (73.2). A closer analysis of the biography sheds new light on the inclusion of the fragment and suggests that it was selected due to the civil war-theme that runs throughout Tiberius’ life.

RESEARCH SURVEY: THE ANCIENT ECONOMY – NEW STUDIES AND APPROACHES

Ancient Economy is a highly competitive as well as innovative field in modern ancient studies. The survey, divided up in two parts (the first part in JAC 32/1 (2017): 55–105), presents new theoretical and methodological approaches, models and recent studies that have emerged in the last years. In part 2, Hans Neumann shows recent trends in the study of Near Eastern Economies. Heidi Köpp-Junk provides an overview of the Egyptian economy before the Greco-Roman times. Additionally, the article of Yifeng Zhao analyzes important patterns of the economy during the Ming / Qing Dynasty.

Hans NEUMANN (Altorientalistik, Universität Münster)
DAS ALTE VORDERASIEN (pp. 185–210)

Heidi KÖPP-JUNK (Ägyptologie, Universität Trier)
ZUR ÖKONOMIE ÄGYPTENS BIS ZUM ENDE DES NEUEN REICHES (pp. 211–228)

Yifeng ZHAO (Institute for the Study of Asian Civilizations, NENU, Changchun)
THE FORMATION AND FEATURES OF THE MING / QING IMPERIAL AGRO-MERCANTILE SOCIETY (pp. 229–255)
A majority of contemporary Chinese historians focus on the so-called Capitalist sprouts to analyze the historical trends and potentials of late imperial China until late twentieth century. Some Western historians, on the other hand, proposed several alternative approaches to overcome the obvious Eurocentric nature of these Capitalist sprouts approaches. Following a brief discussion of the problems with both approaches, this article argues that in terms of social structural and historical trends, late imperial China during the Ming and early Qing period should be taken as an imperial agro-mercantile society with unique structural features and potentials. To present such a hypothesis, this article, first of all, identifies the major novelties as well as irreversible and structural changes in the economic sector during the Ming and early Qing period to confirm that late imperial China was a society with significant development, rather than stagnation. Secondly, it points out that when profound changes were happening, mainly in the economic sector, the imperial rule was enhanced rather than being weakened or disintegrated by these changes in economy. Thirdly, the paper highlights the main features of the agro-mercantile society indicating that this is a changing society profoundly different from the contemporary West in terms of structure and potentials.