In this major study - regarded as his most important work - the pioneering anthropologist, Berthold Laufer documents the cultural transfers that took place between China and Iran in ancient times. He does so by tracing the history of cultivated plants, drugs, products, minerals, metals, precious stones and textiles, in their migration from Persia to China and from China to Persia. Walnut, peach, apricot and olive, as well as more exotic products like jasmine, henna, indigo, lapis lazuli, amber, coral, gold, ebony, zinc and myrrh are all included. Few other publications provide so much informative detail about the way human activity has modified the natural world through the movement of plants and other natural resource products from one historical civilisation to another. The work also offers important detail on Iran for periods when Iranian sources are slim. Introduced by Brian Spooner, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania, this classic work is once more available for all scholars of Iran, China and cultural exchange.

CONTENTSNew Introduction by Brian SpoonerIntroductionSino-Iranica Alfalfa The Grape-Vine The Pistachio The Walnut The Pomegranate Sesame and Flax The Coriander The Cucumber Chive, Onion, and Shallot Garden Pea and Broad Bean Saffron and Turmeric Safflower Jasmine Henna The Balsam-Poplar Manna Asafoetida GalbanumOak-Galls Indigo Rice PepperSugar Myrobalan The 'Gold Peach'Fu-tse Brassica Cummin The Date-Palm The Spinach Sugar Beet and Lettuce Ricinus The Almond The Fig The Olive Cassia Pods and Carob Narcissus The Balm of Gilead Note on the Language of Fu-lin The Water-Melon Fenugreek Nux-VomicaThe Carrot Aromatics Spikenard-Storax-Myrrh-Putchuck-Styrax benjoinThe Malayan Po-se and Its Products Alum-Lac-Camphor-Aloes-Amomum- P, o-lo-te-Psoralea-EbonyPersian Textiles Brocades-Rugs-Yue no-Woolen Stuffs-AsbestosIranian Minerals, Metals, and Precious StonesBorax-Sal Ammoniac-Litharge-Gold-Oxides of Copper-Colored SaltZinc--Steel-Se-se-Emerald-Turquois-Lapis Lazuli-Diamond-Amber-Coral-BezoarTitles of the Sasanian Government 529Irano-Sinica The Square Bambo-Silk-Peach and Apricot-Cinnamon-Zedoary-Ginger-Mamiran-Rhubarb-Salsola-Emblic Myrobalan-Althaea-Rose of China-Mango-Sandal-Birch-Tea-Onyx-Tootnague-Saltpetre-Kaolin-Smilax pseudochina-Rag-paper-Paper Money-Chinese Loan-Words in Persian-The Chinese in the Alexander RomanceAppendix I Iranian Elements in Mongol Appendix II Chinese Elements in Turki Appendix III The Indian Elements in the Persian Pharmacologyof Abu Mansur Muwaffaq Appendix IV The Basil Appendix V Additional Notes on Loan-Words in Tibetan General Index Botanical IndexIndex of Words