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The Silk Roads programme at King's College

An interdisciplinary research programme to study the history and culture of the countries of the Silk Roads

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About the Silk Roads programme

Through a generous donation, King’s has initiated a programme for the study of the history and culture of the Silk Road countries, societies, and cultures of Asia from the Western borders of China to the Mediterranean Sea, as well as their relationships with China in the East and Europe in the West.

This broad programme of studies includes lectures, seminars and conferences, as well as graduate scholarships and Research Fellowships, which explore relationships and the movement of materials, knowledge, and technologies between China and the Mediterranean at any period in history up to the present day.

To keep up to date with Silk Roads Programme activities, join the mailing list.

Join the Silk Roads Programme mailing list

Members of the Silk Roads programme

Gareth Austin, smiling man with short hair wearing a blue suit and a yellow tie

Gareth Austin

Official Fellow and Research Director
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Gareth Austin
A man in a blue shirt

Peter Frankopan

Bye-Fellow, Associate Director of the Silk Roads programme
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Peter Frankopan
Mezna Qato, a smiling woman with brown hair wearing a brown headscarf. She is standing in a warmly lit room with plants.

Mezna Qato

Bye-Fellow in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
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Mezna Qato
Dror Weil, a smiling bald man wearing a blue shirt and striped bow tie.

Dror Weil

Official Fellow in History (Early Modern Asia)
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Dror Weil

Silk Roads programme events listings

Grassy, stppe landscape with bright cloudy sky
30 January 2026 2 - 3pm
Keynes Hall, King's College & on Zoom

Evolution of Ceramic Production Standards in Eastern Kazakhstan: From the Early to Late Bronze Age- Didar Shaimukhanova (Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty)

Eastern Kazakhstan is a region with a centuries-old history and a unique cultural heritage, known for world-class archaeological discoveries such as the «Golden Man» of the Saka era. However, the...
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Evolution of Ceramic Production Standards in Eastern Kazakhstan: From the Early to Late Bronze Age- Didar Shaimukhanova (Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty)
Grey stone ruins on a green, leafy landscape
06 February 2026 2 - 3pm
Audit Room, King's College & on Zoom

Byzantine-Sasanian struggle for the Caucasus: the Lazic War and warfare in Late Antiquity- Dr Nika Khoperia (Georgian Institute of Public Affairs & Giorgi Tsereteli Institute of Oriental Studies, Tbilisi)

The Lazic War (541–562 CE) was one of the most significant conflicts in the Caucasus, fought between the Byzantine Empire and Sasanian Iran over control of Lazica, corresponding to modern...
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Byzantine-Sasanian struggle for the Caucasus: the Lazic War and warfare in Late Antiquity- Dr Nika Khoperia (Georgian Institute of Public Affairs & Giorgi Tsereteli Institute of Oriental Studies, Tbilisi)
Grey stone fortification walls with crenelations on a blue sky background, with a grey path and grass in the foreground
17 February 2026 4 - 5pm
Online only

The Great War of Egrisi: an archaeological and historical overview of Justinian’s 'northern' Persian wars- Dr Nikoloz Murgulia (Georgian National Museum & the Georgian American University, Tbilisi)

This event is jointly hosted by King's Silk Roads and the Friends of Academic Research in Georgia- FaRIG.org The presentation will examine the origin, development, and decline of the Kingdom...
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The Great War of Egrisi: an archaeological and historical overview of Justinian’s 'northern' Persian wars- Dr Nikoloz Murgulia (Georgian National Museum & the Georgian American University, Tbilisi)
Arid desert landscape with archaeological mound in the distance, blue sky above
20 February 2026 2 - 3pm
Keynes Hall, King's College & on Zoom

Sustainability in Deep Time: Persistence and Inequality in Southwest Asia through Archaeology- Prof. Dan Lawrence (Durham University)

This talk examines how archaeological data from Southwest Asia can inform meaningful discussions about sustainability today. It focuses on two novel proxies for assessing sustainability in past communities, settlement persistence...
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Sustainability in Deep Time: Persistence and Inequality in Southwest Asia through Archaeology- Prof. Dan Lawrence (Durham University)
Buildings with grey roof tiles, white wall and red- painted detailing behind a leafy, green trees
13 March 2026 2 - 3pm
Keynes Hall, King's College & on Zoom

Geographies of Coercion in Late Imperial China, 1400-1900- Dr Christoph Hess (King's College, University of Cambridge)

Why did slave and serf-like bondservant labour persist in the densely populated regions of eastern China until the early twentieth century? A common set of explanations links labour coercion to...
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Geographies of Coercion in Late Imperial China, 1400-1900- Dr Christoph Hess (King's College, University of Cambridge)
decorative tilework

Contact the Silk Roads Programme

If you want to get involved with the Silk Roads Programme, join the mailing list, or find out more about upcoming events using the link below.
Contact us