Event Details
When:
Fri, Feb 6, 2026, 4pm - 5:30pm
Location:
Online: Zoom
In-Person at WWU
Fraser Hall 201
Price:
Free
Brought to you by:
Department of Global Humanities and Religions, Anthropology, Languages, Literatures, and Cultures Department, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, East Asian Studies, History Department, Department of Art & Art History, The Foundation for WWU & Alumni
Description
Just as the ancient Xiongnu nomadic empire was an economically and politically sophisticated entity, so were religious beliefs equally complex. This talk engages the wealth of visual art, archaeological, and historical materials to elucidate the ways in which belief systems and ritual practices of Inner Asian communities during the Xiongnu dynasty elevated geographies and nonhuman animals of the steppe world in a matrix of beings linked to the Tenger heavens.
Featuring:
Bryan K. Miller, University of Michigan, is Assistant Professor of Central Asian Art & Archaeology in History of Art and Assistant Curator of Asian Archaeology at the Museum of Anthropological Archaeology. His work investigates the politics of visual culture and the intersections art and ecology in early Eurasia. His recent book on the Xiongnu: The World's First Nomadic Empire challenges normative constructs of nomadic societies so as to reasses the sophisticated arts, institutions, and polities they create.
Questions and Accommodations
- Contact Maureen Christman if you have questions or need disability accommodations by calling (360) 650-3030 or emailing GHR@wwu.edu.
- Advance notice for disability accommodations and special needs is greatly appreciated. Please indicate your special needs on the registration form.
- There will be auto-captions available for the Zoom webinar.
Visitor Parking at WWU on Weekdays
- Mon-Fri, 7:00am-4:30pm: limited paid parking is available at the south C lots and north 6V and 7G lots.
- Purchase your permit at the lot pay stations or use the Parkmobile app.
- More parking details for campus visitors are available online.
Parking at WWU on Weekdays for Visitors with Disabilities
- Mon-Fri, 7:00am-4:30pm: both a WWU permit and state disability placard are needed.
- Purchase your permit at the pay stations in lot C or 6V or use the Parkmobile app (use Zone 1200). This allows parking in any disability space. If these are full, you can use a non-reserved space nearby.
- More parking details for campus visitors with disabilities are available online.
The views expressed by our speaker do not necessarily reflect those of Western Washington University.
