Kushan Mystique

Kushan Mystique is in part a personal narrative, and in part a profile of people and places encountered as a result of David Jongeward's Kushan research and travels. The author describes his evolving interest in the ancient history of Central Asia, leading to a specialisation in Kushan coinage and the Buddhist sculpture of Gandhara. Meetings with collectors, curators and other specialists, along with descriptions of his museum-based research and visits to major archaeological sites in Pakistan that date to the Kushan era, are all described, along with lively discussion on the succession of Kushan kings and the Kushan pantheon of deities. Kushan Mystique is a testament to the power and ongoing fascination of historians with this most influential yet mysterious of dynasties.