EDITORIAL

Brotherhood, Fusion, and Unity on the Road to Civilization

The beginning of imperialism coincides with the emergence of archeology as a discipline. One could argue that both endeavors reflect the "civilized" West’s attempt to distort civilizational history in order to legitimize the pillaging of the riches of "barbarian" communities. As part of these attempts,Eurocentric historiography drew on research in the fields of archaeology, philology, anthropology, philosophy, and literature. It is well known that these studies served as the foundation for an ideological system that allowed the "superior" white man to conquer the territories inhabited by the yellow, dark, and black “barbarians."

The cooperation forged by developing countries on the basis of equality is now expanding into scientific fields in parallel with the multipolarization of world politics and the decline of imperialist hegemony. It can be said that the influence of Western-centered ideological dominance in intellectual activities has started to fade with the growth of scientific cooperation among developing nations. Especially in the area of archaeology, a significant outpouring of research conducted by the scientists of these countries has developed after discarding the Eurocentric approach. Academic collaborations among these nations serve as the foundation for an objective and unbiased examination of civilizational history.

In the current period, the downfall of the capitalist-imperialist system is currently being observed not just in terms of its economic and political consequences but also in terms of its social and cultural repercussions. Humanity will rot and perish if this system, in which man is alienated from both man and nature, is allowed to continue. Under these conditions, there is no way out but to establish a system in which man and nature live in harmony. In establishing this system, we must re-visit and embrace our cultural and civilizational roots. The history of civilizations is the collective history of the peoples who now inhabit the various borders and continents. Starting from Göbeklitepe, Anatolian and Mesopotamian cultures and civilizations, Egyptian, Roman, Persian, Greek, Byzantine, Chinese, Indian, Turkish, Islamic civilizations, Scythian, Etruscan, Aztec, Maya, Inca, Phoenician, Carthage, this is all humanity's common heritage. Ancient civilizations that have left their marks on human history have crossed paths along the Silk Road. By enabling the exchange of goods, ideas, and innovations in science and technology, the Silk Road functioned as a link between civilizations. Its significance goes beyond this, though. The Silk Road is like a melting pot where spiritual culture is shared along with material cultural products throughout the ages. The Silk Road of the 21st Century, the largest platform for international cooperation in existence today, or the Belt and Road Initiative, is the route that will combine the civilizational accumulation that humanity has amassed over thousands of years and allow for the development of a new civilization.

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We have exciting news for our readers as BRIQ wraps up its third year with this issue. Engraving its success in the field of academic publishing with its 12th issue, BRIQ has achieved a very important success in the international arena. Our journal has initiated a publishing collaboration with Northwest Polytechnic University (NPU), one of the top 25 universities in China. NPU will contribute to the BRIQ’s work by assigning two members to the Editorial Board and a Co-Editor-in-Chief, and join as a partner in paying the publishing costs. Partnership with NPU will mark the beginning of long-lasting collaborations with other universities in the developing world. BRIQ, an original scholarly journal in every way, is sailing towards greater success.

Fikret AKFIRAT

Editor-in-Chief

Contents

Abstract

We tried to bring a global perspective in terms of world prehistory, but it is quite difficult to explain it in Turkey. The area of constant focus remains Mesopotamia. Let alone Central Asia, the Balkans, Europe, even the Aegean is difficult to perceive. However, cultural history is global and requires a global point of view. You have to consider India and Pakistan to the south and the entire Indian Ocean environment. Besides, each region has interactions with its environment and processes with their own internal dynamics. Now, to bring all these together, you have to take a global perspective. To do any international work, not only for Central Asia but for the world, whether British prehistory or Tanzania, we need to understand that we need to look at the past on a global scale.
 

Abstract

The Historical Silk Road united humanity. It united the regions with peace, not war. Not with poverty; with wealth, prosperity, taking people as a basis, loving people and not worshiping money. These are universal values that always flow from the East to the West. Today, the modern Silk Road promises the same. The other day, the Chinese Foreign Minister attended the meeting of the Organization of Islamic States and said, "We are after the construction of a new world. The basic values on which we will build the new world exist in your religion of Islam. To be based on people, to see differences as richness, to respect one's neighbor, not to dominate". The new world will be built on these values. Nobody will kill anybody. Nobody will despotate anybody. A new international system cannot be established if we cannot build the modern Silk Road. Atlanticists, money-worshippers, those who deify money, and globalists are trying to prevent the construction of the Modern Silk Road because they are aware of this. They will not succeed.
 

Abstract

All of a nation's pursuits are anchored in its history. The 5,000-year-old Chinese civilization serves as an inexhaustible fountain of energy for the Chinese people and the source of our confidence and pride as a nation.
 

Abstract

The Toba Turks, who founded the Northern Wei state between 4th and 6th centuries AD, were a nomadic tribe living in northern China, affiliated to the Xianbei confederation, consisting of Turkic and Mongol communities. After the Toba conquered northern China, they accepted and supported Buddhism. During the Northern Wei dynasty, the great support of the Toba rulers for Buddhist structures, art, and translation of sacred texts was instrumental in the spread of Buddhism and Buddhist art in China in later periods. Buddhism reached to China in 2nd and 3rd centuries AD through the west of China. Many artists specializing in Buddhist images flocked here, as did Buddhist monks during the Northern Wei period when the Toba ruled. The translation of Buddhist inscriptions into Chinese and the construction of temples began to be carried out in this region. As a result of these developments, with the support of the Toba rulers, the composition organizations of the works of Buddhist painting art increased and varied.
 

Abstract

The Grassland Silk Road is the earliest road across the grasslands of northern Eurasia. It is divided into three routes, namely the north line, the middle line and the south line, and has formed a famous trade road. The Grassland Silk Road has played an irreplaceable historical role in communication and integration between the North and the South, as well as between China and the West, and has also provided the material foundation and spiritual bond for today’s economic construction of the New Silk Road Belt. The study of the Grassland Silk Road illustrates the historical process of sino-foreign economic and cultural exchanges and serves today’s “One Belt and One Road” development strategy.
 

Abstract

The micro-blade stone-tool industry produced by the pressure technique that emerged in Siberia during the Late Upper Paleolithic Age, spread over wide areas in Eurasia. One of these spreading lines was via Silk Road. Micro-blade stone-tool industries traced from Southern Siberia to Northern Afghanistan at the end of the Pleistocene reached Zagros and Eastern Anatolia via Northern Iraq at the beginning of PPN. It is also proven by the results of genetic studies that the traces of migrations from Siberia reached the Near East. It has been calculated that Ancient North Asian peoples have a genetic contribution of 20-25% in the genetic cluster formed by genomes dated to PPN in Zagros region. Therefore, it has been understood that the carriers of the pressure-micro-blade technology which set out from Southern Siberia, are intertwined enough to transfer their genes to the Zagros region. The same situation is true for the Caucasian Hunter-Gatherers genetic cluster. It is well known that the amazing depicted-art and architectural style of the PPN Göbeklitepe Culture in Southeastern Anatolia emerged suddenly without pre-development process. There is no other dominant culture in the immediate vicinity that can lead this interesting development. In this case it should be emphasized that a dominant cultural influence came from outside created the PPN Göbeklitepe Culture by mixing with native Anatolian communities. In the circumstances we should look for the dominant culture candidate among the Ancient North Asian immigration groups that using the pressure technique.
 

Abstract

This article is devoted to the study of the material and artistic aspects of nomad migrations from the 2nd century BC to the 2nd century AD. It outlines the basis of artifacts mainly found in archaeological layers of the route followed by the Yuezhi tribe’s movement on the Silk Road. Some of the most striking monuments of this era include the images of warriors in plate armor. These images are mentioned in various archaeological sources. By fixing them in a spatial and temporal dimension, it will be possible to clarify or offer a fractional historical periodization of the era of nomadic migration in Central Asia.
 

Abstract

How the Cult of the Leader Th reatens Democracy around the World