Overview

The early Christian presence in Inner Mongolia forms the subject of this book. These Nestorian remains must primarily be attributed to the OEngut, a Turkic people closely allied to the Mongols. Writing in Syriac, Uighur and Chinese scripts and languages, the Nestorian OEngut drew upon a variety of religions and cultures to decorate their gravestones with crosses rising from lotus flowers, dragons and Taoist imagery. This heritage also portrays designs found in the Islamic world. Taking a closer look at the discovery of this material and its significance for the study of the early Church of the East under the Mongols, the author reconstructs the Nestorian culture of the OEngut. The reader will find many newly discovered objects not published before. At the same time this study demonstrates how many remaining objects were appropriated and, in many cases, vanished after their discovery. 'I find myself obliged to make a special effort to avoid over-praising this book, a treasure-house of information, drawn on a comprehensive array of sources, some of them hitherto untapped, and splendidly presented on the important subject of Christian presence in East Asia.' DENIS SINOR, (Indiana University), Journal of Asian History, 43/1 (2009)

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Reviews

'In sum, Halbertsma has produced an admirable study, eclectic in its methodology, yet consistently meticulous and stimulating.' JOEL WALKER, Hugoye: journal of Syriac Studies, 12/1 'He has written a fascinating and lavishly illustrated book about the religion of a remarkably pragmatic lost Christian civilisation in Asia.' GERRY van KLINKEN (KITLV, Leiden), Asian Studies Review, 33 (2009) (...)'Early Christian Remains of the Inner Mongolia is a valuable study of the OEngut Christian remains in Inner Mongolia, a lasting record of many now destroyed monuments, and, despite the author's impartial academic tone, a shocking look at the carnage unleashed by museums and private collectors' avid hunger for unprovenanced artifacts.' CHRISTOPHER P. ATWOOD (Indiana University), JAS 2009 'I find myself obliged to make a special effort to avoid over-praising this book, a treasure-house of information, drawn on a comprehensive array of sources, some of them hitherto untapped, and splendidly presented on the important subject of Christian presence in East Asia.' DENIS SINOR, (Indiana University), Journal of Asian History, 43/1 (2009) 'Die Arbeit stellt die erste sowohl westliche als auch japanische und chinesische Forschungsergebnisse ausfuhrlich berucksichtigende Dokumentation und Interpretation ,nestorianischen' Fundgutes - in der Hauptsache Grabsteine - im Damaoqi und Siziwangqi Banner der heutigen Inneren Mongolei dar.(...) Ein besonderes Verdienst der vorliegenden Arbeit ist nicht zuletzt die Publikation neuen Fundmaterials auf Grundlage eigener Feldforschungen des Vf. (...) Dies alles macht die Arbeit fur zukunftige Forschungen in dieser Richtung unverzichtbar (...) insgesamt grossen Wert fur weitere Untersuchungen zum ,nestorianischen' Christentum auf dem Gebiet des heutigen China.' SOEREN STARK, Berlin, Orientalistische Literaturzeitung 104 (2009) 'The major strength of the work derives from the author's obvious commitment to documenting and preserving these archaeological materials which are rapidly disappearing, due to grave looters, local farmers in need of building materials and inefficient or corrupt officials. It is nothing short of a labour of love.(...) In short, the volume is a must have for anyone concerned with either Syriac funerary material or the history of Christianity in Central Asia.' MARK DICKENS, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, JRAS, Series 3, 20, 2 (2010) 'So, in many ways this book offers an important addition both to the history of the Mongols and to the history of the e Far East. Halbertsma offers a good introduction to the subject and brings together and discusses an important body of material.' LAURAN TOORIANS, ECA 6 (2009) 'The great value of this book lies in its documentation of previously unknown and rarely seen examples of Christian funerary remains from Inner Mongolia, some of which unfortunately have now disappeared. It is to be hoped that further investigations by both Chinese and foreign archaeologists can be done as soon as possible before the medieval Christian heritage of Inner Mongolia is lost forever. The photographs in this book may be all that we have in the future if the current rate of looting and destruction continues. For anyone interested in the history of Christianity in Central Asia and China this book is essential and will long remain an important reference source.' KEN PARRY, Journal of Inner Asian Art and Archaeology (4/2009) 'This is a worthy book, which provides the most comprehensive record to date of the early Christian remains found in Inner Mongolia. (...) The most visible and notable scholarship so far has come from philologists who attempt to decipher gravestone inscriptions, which are written in various languages and scripts. In order to contextualize these inscriptions, Halbertsma has exhausted vast materials, such as textual sources in Chinese and Western languages, missionary records, archaeological fieldwork, and ethnographical reports. In addition, he discusses a great deal of important secondary sources that help us envision the shape of contemporary scholarship across the boundaries of many disciplines, such as archaeology, history, philology, and religious studies.' Huaiyu Chen, Arizona State University, Frontiers of History in China, (2012) 7/1 'Cet ouvrage est en eff et le handbook, le compendium de reference sur la societe des OEnggut nestoriens qu'on attendait depuis longtemps. L'auteur y a rassemble une bonne introduction historique, un excellent expose des recherches sur les OEnggut, d'abondantes descriptions archeologiques, completees par ses propres recherches de terrain et illustrees de cartes utiles et de tres nombreuses photographies. Reconstituer l'histoire des recherches, reperer les sites et decrire la situation actuelle constituaient autant de defi s que T. Halbertsma a releves avec efficacite et au prix de nombreuses annees de travail. En meme temps qu'il constitue un ouvrage de reference, son livre, d'une lecture aisee et agreable, contribuera certainement a mieux faire connaitre les OEnggut nestoriens: une societe originale, porteuse d'un heritage culturel extremement divers, et qui marqua profondement les relations entre l'Occident et l'Extreme-Orient au Moyen Age.' Pierre Marsone, Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Paris, T'oung Pao 97 (2011) 'All in all the book is inspiring, for Halbertsma has documented thoroughly valuable material that was disappearing as he wrote. His record of it will make possible the still necessary deeper study which he hopes may follow.' Daniel C. Waugh, Professor Emeritus of History (University of Washington), The Silk Road Vol.10 (2012)

'In sum, Halbertsma has produced an admirable study, eclectic in its methodology, yet consistently meticulous and stimulating.' JOEL WALKER, Hugoye: journal of Syriac Studies, 12/1 'He has written a fascinating and lavishly illustrated book about the religion of a remarkably pragmatic lost Christian civilisation in Asia.' GERRY van KLINKEN (KITLV, Leiden), Asian Studies Review, 33 (2009) (...)'Early Christian Remains of the Inner Mongolia is a valuable study of the OEngut Christian remains in Inner Mongolia, a lasting record of many now destroyed monuments, and, despite the author's impartial academic tone, a shocking look at the carnage unleashed by museums and private collectors' avid hunger for unprovenanced artifacts.' CHRISTOPHER P. ATWOOD (Indiana University), JAS 2009 'I find myself obliged to make a special effort to avoid over-praising this book, a treasure-house of information, drawn on a comprehensive array of sources, some of them hitherto untapped, and splendidly presented on the important subject of Christian presence in East Asia.' DENIS SINOR, (Indiana University), Journal of Asian History, 43/1 (2009) 'Die Arbeit stellt die erste sowohl westliche als auch japanische und chinesische Forschungsergebnisse ausfuhrlich berucksichtigende Dokumentation und Interpretation ,nestorianischen` Fundgutes - in der Hauptsache Grabsteine - im Damaoqi und Siziwangqi Banner der heutigen Inneren Mongolei dar.(...) Ein besonderes Verdienst der vorliegenden Arbeit ist nicht zuletzt die Publikation neuen Fundmaterials auf Grundlage eigener Feldforschungen des Vf. (...) Dies alles macht die Arbeit fur zukunftige Forschungen in dieser Richtung unverzichtbar (...) insgesamt grossen Wert fur weitere Untersuchungen zum ,nestorianischen` Christentum auf dem Gebiet des heutigen China.' SOEREN STARK, Berlin, Orientalistische Literaturzeitung 104 (2009) 'The major strength of the work derives from the author's obvious commitment to documenting and preserving these archaeological materials which are rapidly disappearing, due to grave looters, local farmers in need of building materials and inefficient or corrupt officials. It is nothing short of a labour of love.(...) In short, the volume is a must have for anyone concerned with either Syriac funerary material or the history of Christianity in Central Asia.' MARK DICKENS, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, JRAS, Series 3, 20, 2 (2010) 'So, in many ways this book offers an important addition both to the history of the Mongols and to the history of the e Far East. Halbertsma offers a good introduction to the subject and brings together and discusses an important body of material.' LAURAN TOORIANS, ECA 6 (2009) 'The great value of this book lies in its documentation of previously unknown and rarely seen examples of Christian funerary remains from Inner Mongolia, some of which unfortunately have now disappeared. It is to be hoped that further investigations by both Chinese and foreign archaeologists can be done as soon as possible before the medieval Christian heritage of Inner Mongolia is lost forever. The photographs in this book may be all that we have in the future if the current rate of looting and destruction continues. For anyone interested in the history of Christianity in Central Asia and China this book is essential and will long remain an important reference source.' KEN PARRY, Journal of Inner Asian Art and Archaeology (4/2009) 'This is a worthy book, which provides the most comprehensive record to date of the early Christian remains found in Inner Mongolia. (...) The most visible and notable scholarship so far has come from philologists who attempt to decipher gravestone inscriptions, which are written in various languages and scripts. In order to contextualize these inscriptions, Halbertsma has exhausted vast materials, such as textual sources in Chinese and Western languages, missionary records, archaeological fieldwork, and ethnographical reports. In addition, he discusses a great deal of important secondary sources that help us envision the shape of contemporary scholarship across the boundaries of many disciplines, such as archaeology, history, philology, and religious studies.' Huaiyu Chen, Arizona State University, Frontiers of History in China, (2012) 7/1 'Cet ouvrage est en eff et le handbook, le compendium de reference sur la societe des OEnggut nestoriens qu'on attendait depuis longtemps. L'auteur y a rassemble une bonne introduction historique, un excellent expose des recherches sur les OEnggut, d'abondantes descriptions archeologiques, completees par ses propres recherches de terrain et illustrees de cartes utiles et de tres nombreuses photographies. Reconstituer l'histoire des recherches, reperer les sites et decrire la situation actuelle constituaient autant de defi s que T. Halbertsma a releves avec efficacite et au prix de nombreuses annees de travail. En meme temps qu'il constitue un ouvrage de reference, son livre, d'une lecture aisee et agreable, contribuera certainement a mieux faire connaitre les OEnggut nestoriens: une societe originale, porteuse d'un heritage culturel extremement divers, et qui marqua profondement les relations entre l'Occident et l'Extreme-Orient au Moyen Age.' Pierre Marsone, Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Paris, T'oung Pao 97 (2011) 'All in all the book is inspiring, for Halbertsma has documented thoroughly valuable material that was disappearing as he wrote. His record of it will make possible the still necessary deeper study which he hopes may follow.' Daniel C. Waugh, Professor Emeritus of History (University of Washington), The Silk Road Vol.10 (2012)

'In sum, Halbertsma has produced an admirable study, eclectic in its methodology, yet consistently meticulous and stimulating.' JOEL WALKER, Hugoye: journal of Syriac Studies, 12/1 'He has written a fascinating and lavishly illustrated book about the religion of a remarkably pragmatic lost Christian civilisation in Asia.' GERRY van KLINKEN (KITLV, Leiden), Asian Studies Review, 33 (2009) (...)'Early Christian Remains of the Inner Mongolia is a valuable study of the Ongut Christian remains in Inner Mongolia, a lasting record of many now destroyed monuments, and, despite the author's impartial academic tone, a shocking look at the carnage unleashed by museums and private collectors' avid hunger for unprovenanced artifacts.' CHRISTOPHER P. ATWOOD (Indiana University), JAS 2009 'I find myself obliged to make a special effort to avoid over-praising this book, a treasure-house of information, drawn on a comprehensive array of sources, some of them hitherto untapped, and splendidly presented on the important subject of Christian presence in East Asia.' DENIS SINOR, (Indiana University), Journal of Asian History, 43/1 (2009) 'Die Arbeit stellt die erste sowohl westliche als auch japanische und chinesische Forschungsergebnisse ausfuhrlich berucksichtigende Dokumentation und Interpretation ,nestorianischen' Fundgutes - in der Hauptsache Grabsteine - im Damaoqi und Siziwangqi Banner der heutigen Inneren Mongolei dar.(...) Ein besonderes Verdienst der vorliegenden Arbeit ist nicht zuletzt die Publikation neuen Fundmaterials auf Grundlage eigener Feldforschungen des Vf. (...) Dies alles macht die Arbeit fur zukunftige Forschungen in dieser Richtung unverzichtbar (...) insgesamt grossen Wert fur weitere Untersuchungen zum ,nestorianischen' Christentum auf dem Gebiet des heutigen China.' SOEREN STARK, Berlin, Orientalistische Literaturzeitung 104 (2009) 'The major strength of the work derives from the author's obvious commitment to documenting and preserving these archaeological materials which are rapidly disappearing, due to grave looters, local farmers in need of building materials and inefficient or corrupt officials. It is nothing short of a labour of love.(...) In short, the volume is a must have for anyone concerned with either Syriac funerary material or the history of Christianity in Central Asia.' MARK DICKENS, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, JRAS, Series 3, 20, 2 (2010) 'So, in many ways this book offers an important addition both to the history of the Mongols and to the history of the e Far East. Halbertsma offers a good introduction to the subject and brings together and discusses an important body of material.' LAURAN TOORIANS, ECA 6 (2009) 'The great value of this book lies in its documentation of previously unknown and rarely seen examples of Christian funerary remains from Inner Mongolia, some of which unfortunately have now disappeared. It is to be hoped that further investigations by both Chinese and foreign archaeologists can be done as soon as possible before the medieval Christian heritage of Inner Mongolia is lost forever. The photographs in this book may be all that we have in the future if the current rate of looting and destruction continues. For anyone interested in the history of Christianity in Central Asia and China this book is essential and will long remain an important reference source.' KEN PARRY, Journal of Inner Asian Art and Archaeology (4/2009) 'This is a worthy book, which provides the most comprehensive record to date of the early Christian remains found in Inner Mongolia. (...) The most visible and notable scholarship so far has come from philologists who attempt to decipher gravestone inscriptions, which are written in various languages and scripts. In order to contextualize these inscriptions, Halbertsma has exhausted vast materials, such as textual sources in Chinese and Western languages, missionary records, archaeological fieldwork, and ethnographical reports. In addition, he discusses a great deal of important secondary sources that help us envision the shape of contemporary scholarship across the boundaries of many disciplines, such as archaeology, history, philology, and religious studies.' Huaiyu Chen, Arizona State University, Frontiers of History in China, (2012) 7/1 'Cet ouvrage est en eff et le handbook, le compendium de reference sur la societe des Onggut nestoriens qu'on attendait depuis longtemps. L'auteur y a rassemble une bonne introduction historique, un excellent expose des recherches sur les Onggut, d'abondantes descriptions archeologiques, completees par ses propres recherches de terrain et illustrees de cartes utiles et de tres nombreuses photographies. Reconstituer l'histoire des recherches, reperer les sites et decrire la situation actuelle constituaient autant de defi s que T. Halbertsma a releves avec efficacite et au prix de nombreuses annees de travail. En meme temps qu'il constitue un ouvrage de reference, son livre, d'une lecture aisee et agreable, contribuera certainement a mieux faire connaitre les Onggut nestoriens: une societe originale, porteuse d'un heritage culturel extremement divers, et qui marqua profondement les relations entre l'Occident et l'Extreme-Orient au Moyen Age.' Pierre Marsone, Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Paris, T'oung Pao 97 (2011) 'All in all the book is inspiring, for Halbertsma has documented thoroughly valuable material that was disappearing as he wrote. His record of it will make possible the still necessary deeper study which he hopes may follow.' Daniel C. Waugh, Professor Emeritus of History (University of Washington), The Silk Road Vol.10 (2012)

Author Information

Tjalling Halbertsma, Ph.D. (2007) in the Arts, University of Leiden, has worked as an advisor to the President of Mongolia. His documentation of Nestorian objects from Inner Mongolia has been published by Monumenta Serica.

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