About Tartlets and Pastries: Food items from the Astana Cemetery, Turpan
In 1915, Marc Aurel Stein (1862–1943) was at the Astana Cemetery on the outskirts of Gaochang city, near Turpan in northwest China. Due to the arid climate of the region, the site preserved organic materials in exceptionally good condition. Among the items that Stein brought back from the Astana Cemetery to London were foodstuff – a bowl of dried fruits, and items described as tartlets, pastries and wafers dating to the seventh and eighth centuries. These are now kept in the British Museum and were displayed in the recent Silk Roads exhibition. The flour-based goods, presumably baked, look strikingly similar to sweet treats enjoyed today. The presence of these food items in the tombs has been interpreted as funerary offerings to the deceased and as evidence of the culinary links between the Turpan region and major centres like Chang’an in China during the Tang dynasty (618–907). This talk re-examines current thinkings about these food items through a combination of preliminary scientific analysis, Stein’s accounts and later archaeological reports. By situating the finds more firmly within their local context, it underscores the unresolved questions that these food items continue to pose.
Launching with this event, the International Dunhuang Programme's Lecture Series invites audiences to dive into the rich history and cultures of the Eastern Silk Roads through engaging talks and new research. By bringing different disciplines together—from archaeology and history to art, religion and manuscripts—the series reflects the IDP's commitment to fostering dialogue and sharing the latest discoveries and fascinating developments in the field.
There will be a drinks reception from 19.30 – 20.00.
A video recording of the lecture will be available afterwards on the IDP YouTube channel.
This lecture is supported by the Sir Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art.
Your support
The British Library is a charity. Your support helps us open up a world of knowledge and inspiration for everyone. Please consider adding a donation to your basket.
Yu-ping Luk
Head of the China section and the Basil Gray Curator of Chinese Paintings, Prints, and Central Asian Collections in the British Museum's Asia Department.
More
Previously, she was the Curator of Chinese Collections at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Project Curator for the British Museum’s exhibition Ming: 50 Years That Changed China, and Assistant Professor in the Department of Visual Studies at Lingnan University in Hong Kong. She completed her DPhil at the University of Oxford. Luk Yu-ping is the author of The Empress and the Heavenly Masters: A Study of the Ordination Scroll of Empress Zhang (1493) (2016) and co-editor of Ming China: Courts and Contacts, 1400–1450 (2016). She was the co-curator of the British Museum’s Silk Roads exhibition (2024/5) and co-author of its accompanying book Silk Roads (2024).
Venue and bar opening times
This is an in-person only event in the British Library Knowledge Centre.
The Knowledge Centre and bar open from 18.00.
Please arrive no later than 15 minutes before the start time of this event. If you have specific access requirements please email customer@bl.uk
Concessions
There are a range of concessions available. These include discounts for British Library Members, Young Persons (16–25s), and visitors on Universal/Pension Credit and free entry for carers.
Want to hear more about events like this?
Sign up to our emails to be the first to hear about upcoming events and exhibitions at the Library.
You might also like
How to Party in Pompeii, with Mary Beard and Charlotte Higgins
The celebrated classicists dig into the food of the Romans, at this Instant Classics live recording.
Family history in the East India Company and India Office archives
Discover how to trace your family history in a training session exploring military and civilian records in this area of our collection.
Self-Help from the Middle Ages
Historian Peter Jones on what medieval thinkers can teach us about modern life.