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Travel, Trade, and exchanging cultures and ideas have all contributed to the societies we have today. On of the largest routes in Afro Eurasia was called the Silk Road. Initially named due to the large amount of silk traded throughout the route this road spread alot more than just silk. From diseases, luxury goods, ideas, and religions these were spread through this route by many different societies. In this webpage I will be showing some of the things that were spread throught this route and the peoples who were involved in it aswell.
Establishment
Establishment
The Silk Road was a creation of the Han dynasty and connected regions for over a thousand years. This article from Joshua J. Mark goes over when it was established, some of the goods traded, regions involved, and some of the older roads that were partially used to create the Silk Road. He published this in the World History Encyclopedia who also include a video that they have created that goes over the same topics in video form. The reason that I have included both of these is because they go over some of the history of the Silk Road but also goes over some of the main things involved in the Silk Road such as conflict and goods.
Article by Joshua J. Mark: Silk Road - World History Encyclopedia
Video posted by The World History Encyclopedia: (108) The Silk Road: Trade Route of the Ancient World - YouTube
Mawangdui Texts
Mawangdui Texts
The image to the left is text from the Mawangdui people. These texts were written I very long vertical columns and were found in a tomb in the city of Changsha. This was uncovered in 1973 in Hunan China. The reason I have chosen to include this is I believe it shows how important that initial trade of silk was. Silk was used as one of the earliest writing materials. This post from Harmony goes over some of the characteristics of the text such as the many topics and number of words.
Image: Lao Tsu Manuscript on silk, 2nd century BC. | Tao te ching, Taoism, Tao (pinterest.com)
The map above is of the Silk Road. This map shows the cities that were on the Silk Road. This map shows that the road went through the Gobi Desert, by many mountain ranges, and spans around 4000 miles in total. The map also shows the Great Royal Road which was initially by itself, but the Silk Road incorporated it to expand the trade capabilities. These are some of the reasons that I chose this map because it shows the environments it went through and the different regions and cities that were part of it. There is a an article that I have chosen from Britannica that goes further over the cities the Silk Road connected but also about what religions were spread but also how the Black Death also spread through the Silk Road. Something interesting included in this article is that there is a part of the Silk Road still used today. Press the Button to access the Article!
Image: Silk Road | Facts, History, & Map | Silk road map, Silk road, Silk route (pinterest.com)
Goods Traded
This is an Arabian horse. Horses along with other farm animals were commonly traded along the Silk Road. https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIP.MqS_naZo4By5YW7WOQVoBgHaGL?pid=ImgDet&rs=1
This is a type of ancient paper. Second century CE paper was invented. This took place as the writing material over silk and was traded along the SIlk Road. However Silk was still traded because it had other uses.
This is cinnamon which is one of the many valuable spices that was traded on the Silk Road. In ancient times spices were a very popular and expensive trade item due to its regional exclusivity.
This is a picture of slaves. The slave trade was a very lucrative market and the Silk Road made trading them easier and allowed the market to flourish even more.
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/24/50/1f/24501f539da65cd6a578003dd9041312.jpg
The reason that I have chosen these four items is because they each represent a different part of society. The horse was used for farming, transportation, and war. Its trade allowed regions without access to horses to adapt new and improved ways of farming and battle. The paper is an example of a new invention that was much easier to acquire and cheaper than its predecessor silk as a writing material at least. The cinnamon represents a more luxury item that has been traded for thousands of years and still has a place in this more modern trade system. The slaves are an example of a field that had now been turned into a money-making system with the societies of the time turning it into a way to make money. This article from Dave Roos goes over eight of the more common items traded on the silk road and provides insights on why the goods were popular and how they came into the mix. Press the Button for The Article!
Disease Spread
The deadliest disease of the time and of one all time was the Black Plague. The Black plague which was spread initially through mice and other rodents. Then once it infected the humans it was further spread through people through respiratory droplets. This disease was spread a little later around the 1400's CE. This was spread by other routes but one of the biggest highways of this disease was the Silk Road. These two articles go deeper into the plague. With UNESCO going over how the plague spreading through the Silk Road was a blessing and a curse. The article from Plague Doctor Masks goes over what exactly the black plague is and some of the more crazy things that were done once people knew about this deadly disease. I am also including a youtube video that goes over the plague more and the narrator is in a cool of the times outfit.
Image: https://plaguedoctormasks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Francesco-Bassano-the-Younger-1024x610.jpg
Other Main Routes
Maritime Trades
Maritime Trades
The map above shows the eastern part of the Silk Road which is in orange. On the map there is also another route which is blue and this is a trade route for maritime trade. Trading through the water was one of the most efficient ways to transport massive amounts of goods. Very similar to the Silk Road there were established routes that connected various cities of the time such as Tyre and Constantinople. I have here a translated list of maritime trade routes from a Greek speaking Egyptian merchant that shows how complex the routes were.
Document: The Voyage around the Erythraean Sea (washington.edu)
Religions
Religions
The image to the left is a statue of Budda which was a a key religious figure that spread throughout the world using the Silk Road as a hub. I have here an article from the Asia Society which I have included because it goes over the most popular religions that spread but also talks about some of the powerful political figures, history of the religion, and the locations of the religion's origin.
Image:https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIP.0sGQIndW7o9iMZmqEufSewHaKs?pid=ImgDet&rs=1
Article: Belief Systems Along the Silk Road | Asia Society
Ending Notes
Ending Notes
Throughout this webpage there have been examples of religions, goods, and diseases being spread throughout the Silk Road. Showing how this trade route along with other parts of this era led to more interaction between empires than ever before. The main point I have been trying to get across is that humans have always thrived through contact with others whether through trade or ideas, whether present or past the need for these routes of connection was apparent then and apparent now. Thank you for reading through this webpage!!!
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