我国所见拜占廷铸币相关问题研究

RESEARCH ON BYZANTINE COINS DISCOVERED IN CHINA

自1897年俄国人古德弗雷(Godfrey)在我国新疆和田古城废墟发现拜占廷金币以来，特别是解放后，我国各地不断发现拜占廷金币或其仿制品，有关的发掘报告和收藏报道不断见诸学术刊物和各种媒体，直到2002年7月在青海都兰发现拜占廷金币为止，

The discovery of more than fifty Byzantine coins dating from Constantine the Great in the 4th century to Constantine V in the 8th century, in the northern and western China posed a historical enigma that has puzzled Chinese scholars for a long time. More than fifty Byzantine coins is really noteworthy number when people consider the distance between one Empire on the Mediterranean coast and the other on the Pacific Ocean coast, and the greatly instable and dangerous situation along the routes between them. The coins include solidus, semissis and tremissis different in weight. In addition to fifty-three gold coins, there are two silver and one copper coins, but only the gold one are excavated. Among the Byzantine coins under discussion, the earliest reached China in the 5th century and the latest in the 8th century. They were discovered in the long period from 1897 to 2002, at several dozen localities of more than ten provinces in China, largely from ancient tombs of the 5th to 9th century. 1897 was the year when Russian captain Godfrey made investigation in Khotan of westernmost China and found the first Byzantine gold coin recorded in China, and 2002 was the year when a new Byzantine gold coin was found in an ancient tomb of the 6th century in Dulan County of Qinghai Province. These Byzantine coins are forceful evidence of economic relations between Chinese and Byzantines, by the Silk Road in northwestern China. The analysis of the coins also suggests that before the 9th century the land Silk Road was more important for East-West trade than the sea-road.