The Silk Road was a network of trade routes connecting China and Rome that began in the 2nd century BC during the Han Dynasty. It consisted of northern, central, and southern routes across Central Asia that allowed for the exchange of goods like silk, ivory, gold, food, animals, technology, religion, and ideas between East and West. Recent archaeological studies provide evidence that the Silk Road may have been used for trade even earlier and helped connect diverse populations across Eurasia through an important system of commerce and cultural diffusion.

1. Along the Silk Road
Connecting West and East in Prehistory
By K. Kris Hirst, About.com Guide
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The Silk Road (or Silk Route) is surely one of the oldest routes of international trade in
the world. First called the Silk Road in the 19th century, the 4500 kilometer (2800 miles)
route is actually a web of caravan tracks connecting Chang'an (now the present day city
of Xi'an), China in the East and Rome, Italy in the West beginning in the Han Dynasty in
the 2nd century BC up through the 15th century AD.

2. Routes of the Silk Road
The Silk Road contained three major routes leading westward from Chang'an, with
perhaps hundreds of smaller ways and by ways. The northern route ran westward from
China to the Black Sea; the central to Persia and the Mediterranean Sea; and the southern
to the regions which now include Afghanistan, Iran, and India. Its fabled travelers
included Marco Polo, Genghis Khan, and Kublai Khan. The Great Wall of China was
built (in part) to protect its route from bandits.
Historical tradition is that the trade routes began in the 2nd century BC, the result of the
efforts of Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty, who commissioned Chinese military
commander Zhang Qian to seek a military alliance with his Persian neighbors to the west.
He found his way to Rome (called Li-Jian in documents to the time). One extremely
important trade item was silk, manufactured in China and treasured in Rome. The process
by which silk is made, involving silk worm caterpillars fed on mulberry leaves, was kept
secret from the west until the 6th century AD, when a Christian monk smuggled
caterpillar eggs out of China.
Trade Goods of the Silk Road
While important to keeping the trade connection open, silk was only one of many items
passing across the Silk Road's network. Precious ivory and gold, food items such as
pomegranates, safflowers, and carrots went east out of Rome to the west; from the east
came jade, furs, ceramics, and manufactured objects of bronze, iron and lacquer. Animals
such as horses, sheep, elephants, peacocks, and camels made the trip, and most
importantly perhaps, agricultural and metallurgical technologies, information, and
religion were brought with the travelers.
Archaeology and the Silk Road
Recent studies have been conducted on key locations along the Silk Route at the Han
Dynasty sites of Chang'an, Yingpan, and Loulan, where imported goods indicate that
these were important cosmopolitan cities. A cemetery in Loulan, dated to the first century
AD, contained burials of individuals from Siberia, India, Afghanistan, and the
Mediterranean Sea. Investigations at the Xuanquan Station Site of Gansu Province in
China suggest that there was a postal service along the Silk Road during the Han
Dynasty.
Some archaeological evidence suggests that the Silk Road may have been in use long
before Zhang Qian's diplomatic journey. Silk has been found in the mummies of Egypt
around 1000 BC, German graves dated to 700 BC, and 5th century Greek tombs.
European, Persian, and Central Asian goods have been found in the Japanese capital city
of Nara. Whether these hints ultimately prove to be solid evidence of early international
trading or not, the web of tracks called the Silk Road will remain a symbol of the lengths
to which people will go to stay in touch.