This slideshow provides illustrations and photographs from Google Earth to depict the geographic features travelers would have encountered along the Silk Road trade route from China to the Mediterranean. It guides the viewer along one common route, starting in Beijing and traveling west through Xi'an, Dunhuang, Kashgar, Merv, and finally ending in Antioch. Along the way it highlights the major physical obstacles traders faced, such as crossing the Taklamakan Desert, Tien Shan mountain range, Pamir Mountains, and Bactrian Desert over the course of the over 3,000 mile long journey.

1. The Silk Road A slideshow to accompany the article and lesson “ From Isolation to Globalization: Taking the First Steps Along the Silk Road” OCSS Review , Summer 2006

2. Slideshow overview This slideshow is designed to Illustrate the physiographic features at various points along the Silk Road(s). Provide oblique angle digital illustrations from Google Earth along with ground-level photographs of those locations. Together, these should give students a better sense of the challenges faced by travelers. Take the viewer on a journey from east to west along one common route of the Silk Road. Google Earth is available for free at http://earth.google.com/ Google Earth provides you the opportunity to mark and label any place on a globe draw routes between places Produce “fly by” videos of a route at various angles and altitudes. Display physiographic features of a location or set of locations, drawn from satellite imagery.

3. Viewing the Silk Road from Space

4. Beijing X’ian Dunhuang Ksahgar Samarkan Merv Antioch

5. Common “Silk Road” Routes

6. The Road Ahead: Begin Your Journey in China West East

7. Heading West from Beijing

8. Heading West from Beijing

9. Next Stop…X’ian Beijing X’ian

10. Looking West from X’ian

11. Looking West from X’ian

12. Next Stop…Dunhuang Dunhuang Beijing X’ian

14. Mogao Caves Near Dunhuang

15. Keep Moving West to Kashgar Dunhuang Kashgar Beijing X’ian

16. Dunhuang to Kashgar: Go Around the Takla Makan Desert

17. … and Cross the Tien Shan Mountain Range

18. Arriving at Kashgar

19. Now…On to Merv Dunhuang Kashgar Merv Beijing X’ian

20. Kashgar to Merv: More Deserts and Mountains Bactrian Desert Pamirs Ancient Merv

21. Your Journey So Far: You have traveled over 3,000 difficult miles You have crossed the Takla Makan Desert, the Tien Shan Mountain Range, passed through territories of hostile warriors, crossed the Pamir Mountains and the Bactrian Desert. Only 1,532 miles to go!!!

22. The Road Ahead…

23. Plains and Mountain Ridges

24. Zagros Mountains

25. Your Final Hurdle to Antioch… the Sultan Mountain Range

26. Finally…Antioch