The Silk Road: Ancient Trading

Route in the Eurasian Continent

Athena Janobas
Erin Ouano
Senior Division
Group Website

Primary Sources

Cantu, Danny. Digital image. History. History, 10 Sept. 2002. Web. 5 Jan.
2016. <http://www.history.com/topics/exploration/marco-polo>.
This image shows a portrait of Marco Polo. Marco is important because he
was the first traveler to record his journey in such great detail. In his
journals, he mentioned multiple locations that werent heard before. Also,
his journals inspired Christopher Columbus to sail the oceans in order to find
new land. This eventually led to the discovery of North America and South
America.

Chai, Masala. The Compass. Digital image. Contemporary Silk Road.

Tpcrimmo, 8 Aug. 2013. Web. 3 Jan. 2016. <https://
asiandesignrmit.wordpress.com/2013/08/08/the-compass/>.
This photo shows a Chinese invention of a compass. It is made of
lodestone during Han Dynasty. This invention had numerous uses when it
was invented. It helped locate gems, sites to build houses on, and for
obvious navigational purposes. When traveling the ocean, sailors stumbled

upon North America, South America, and Africa; the compass assisted in
the discovery of these new lands.

Cohen, Kathleen. History. Digital image. Silk Road. Silk Road Study Group,
12 Mar. 2000. Web. 25 Nov. 2015. <http://gallery.sjsu.edu/silkroad/
history.htm>.
This photo shows a caravanserai located along the Silk Road.
Travelers at the time stayed in these guest houses when the camels/animals
and humans needed to rest. Many stayed here for safety reasons because
traveling on the Silk Road included many dangers. Exchange and trade took
place between merchants and nomads.

Gifford, Rob. China Road. Digital image. Journey Into The Power.
SilkMoto, 21 May 2008. Web. 25 Nov. 2015. <http://
www.silkmoto.com/?p=46>.
This digital image shows multiple people with their camels which acted as
their mode of transportation. They are resting from traveling the harsh
weather of the Silk Road. It was common for merchants to travel in groups
in order to keep one another safe. The camels are dressed in

extravagant clothing. Some can be seen trading with others in the

photo.

Heping, Zhou. Chinese Printing Blocks. Digital image. Ancient Printing

Techniques. National Library of China, 2 Dec. 2004. Web. 3 Jan.
2016. <http://www.nlc.cn/newen/nlcnews/201404/
t20140425_84083.htm>.
This digital image shows hundreds of ancient Chinese printing
blocks. This was one of the famous inventions that influenced the
Silk Road and was also exchanged on it. The first mention of printing was
when an emperor ordered a copy of images and scriptures. It began to
advance and diffused throughout the Eurasian continent.

Jody, Vic. Black Death. Digital image. Old Diseases. The Richest, 23 May
2014. Web. 9 Jan. 2016. <http://www.therichest.com/rich-list/5-olddiseases-that-are-still-attacking-us/?view=all>.
This digital image shows Europeans suffering on the streets from the
Black Plague. The plague involved fleas on rats which then transferred onto
humans. Also, the lack of a proper sewage system contributed to the rapid
spread. This disease was deadly and the first of its kind. Those who were

infected often died since there was no known cure. It killed about 2/3
of the European population.

Lupsor, Andrea. Digital image. Historia.ro. Historia.ro, 9 Mar. 2012. Web. 3 Jan.
2016. <http://www.historia.ro/exclusiv_web/articol/top-inven-iichineze-ti-care-au-schimbat-lumea>.
This image shows the process of paper making. A Chinese man discovered
that paper could be made from the bark of a tree. He reported this discovery
to the emperor and received direct praise. It gives each step from the start to
the finish of making. The first step is to pulp the bark, next is to boil, then
peel, and finally to let it sun dry.

McCurry, Steve. Sandstorm. Digital image. Karavansara. Wordpress, 30

Aug. 2013. Web. 9 Jan. 2016. <https://karavansara.wordpress.com/
2013/08/30/writing-prompt-sandstorm/>.
This digital image shows a camel and its owner in the middle of a
sandstorm. This was one of the obstacles travelers faced on the Silk Road.
Sandstorms were dangerous and one could easily get lost within a few
seconds. Camels werent affected since they were adapted to this kind of
environment.

Mitchell, Ted. Gunpowder (Invented in China). Digital image. The Silk

Road: Yesterday and Today. Ted Mitchell, 2011. Web. 3 Jan. 2016.
<http://www.mitchellteachers.org/ChinaTour/SilkRoadProject/
silk_road_dunhuang.html>.
In this image Muslims are using the gun powder the Chinese made.
Alchemists accidentally made gunpowder when trying to create an elixir of
immortality. This event took place during the Tang Dynasty. The Chinese
made the gunpowder on accident but had figured out a way to use it later on
and allowed others to use it as well.

Mulloy, Shawn. Buddha Statue. Digital image. Carving China's Own

Buddhist Tradition. Sina, 26 Jan. 2013. Web. 3 Jan. 2016. <http://
english.sina.com/culture/p/2013/0126/553846.html>.
This image is of a seated Buddha carved into the side of a hill in
Western China. This shows how religion was often visible when
traveling the Silk Road. Religion was a great influence to the culture in the
surrounding areas. Buddhism was one of the main religions that affected
societies in Eurasia. Religion impacted people, ideas, and culture.

Sanders, Jared. Digital image. Encyclopaedia Britanica. Encyclopaedia

Britanica Online, 27 July 2012. Web. 9 Jan. 2016. <http://
www.britannica.com/place/Zeravshan-Range>.

This image shows the Zeravshan range. During summer the area gets very
hot and dry, a problem for the travelers of the silk road. Travelers would
often have to make a stop in order to give themselves and their animals a
break. They would usually stop at oases so the camels could refresh
themselves. While stopping, trade would take place and people would
encounter others from different backgrounds.

Tai, Huan. Silk Road History. Digital image. History. China Culture, 22 Jan.
2013. Web. 25 Nov. 2015.
This digital image shows a merchant traveling with camels and
horses. The camels are carrying goods and they are exiting a trading
center. This shows the trading that took place in action. After the merchant
was done trading, they would leave the center and return to their hometown
with the goods they traded.

Wei, Ian. Digital image. China Discovery. China Discovery, 10 May 2009.
Web. 9 Jan. 2016.
This image shows the Dunhuang desert. It is located at the edge of
the gobi desert and is a very well known for its large sand dunes. This was
one of the many deserts that travelers would sometimes need to pass in order
to reach their destination. The dangers of this desert include sandstorms and
dehydration. The picture shows part of the landscape in the Eurasian
continent.

The Wind. Digital image. The Geological Society. The Geological Society of
London, 15 Oct. 2007. Web. 9 Jan. 2016.
This image shows an approaching sandstorm on a hot desert town.
Sandstorms could be small and not harmful or huge and extremely
dangerous. The picture gives a visual of what travelers would sometimes
face when taking a journey through the Silk Road.

Secondary Sources

Anita, Avanti. Colored Powder. Digital image. Holi. India Travel, 26 Mar.
2013. Web. 3 Jan. 2016. <http://www.indianholiday.com/blog/holi/>.
This digital image shows a diverse choice of colored powder offered
at a booth. This is one of the many goods that were sold on the Silk
Road.

Beckwith, Christopher I. Empires of the Silk Road: A History of Central Eurasia

from the Bronze Age to the Present. Princeton, NJ: Princeton UP, 2009.
Print.
This book gave us an insight into how the Silk Road affected boundaries,
origin, and history itself. The trading routes affected different components of
Eurasia, intentional or not. This book describes the rise and fall of numerous
empires that were associated with the Silk Road. This was crucial if we
wanted a clear understanding on how the environment and time could affect
the routes.

Cho, Lia. China Printing Museum. Digital image. Culture China. Lia Cho, 18
Sept. 2013. Web. 3 Jan. 2016. <http://arts.cultural-china.com/en/
102Arts12662.html>.

This photo shows the printing blocks that the Chinese invented. The
printing blocks is the ancestors of the printing press and printer. Printing was
a huge step in the development and advancement of mankind. It allowed a
variety of texts to be published and enabled the diffusion of knowledge and
literacy. Educating the people of Eurasia was an effect that the printing
blocks made.

Cohen, Kathleen. "Silk Road." Silk Road. Silk Road Study Group, 2 Nov.
2000. Web. 14 Dec. 2015. <http://gallery.sjsu.edu/silkroad/
index.html>.
This website helped tremendously by giving background information
on the Silk Road and many topics that go along with it. It provided
details on culture, religion, and civilization. This was beneficial for our
group at the beginning of our research since we were not familiar with our
topics yet. It made us aware of what our topic would consist of when starting
our research.

Cohn, David. "SilkRoad." SilkRoad. Stanford, 17 Sept. 2005. Web. 09 Jan. 2016.
<http://virtuallabs.stanford.edu/silkroad/SilkRoad.html>.
This website contained an informational timeline about the Silk
Road. It included many important dates and events that occurred
during that time period. The timeline helped our group visualize the big
picture and how one event led to another. Also, it showed cause and effect
between these events.

Debbie, Betty. "Printing." The Silk Road. The Silk Road Foundation, 18
Sept. 2013. Web. 5 Jan. 2016. <http://www.silk-road.com/artl/
printing.shtml>.
This website provided information on how and when printing was
invented. An emperor ordered the printing of Buddhist images and
scriptures. The first technology used was cubed wooden blocks.
Over time it advanced. People at the time found different methods to further
improve the printing blocks. Over a thousand years later, in 1440 the first
printing press was made. This was a huge improvement from the original
blocks.

Feng, Jiang Yun. Trading Along Silk Road. Digital image. Modern Trading.
Gbtimes, 27 Oct. 2013. Web. 25 Nov. 2015. <http://gbtimes.com/
business/modern-trading-along-old-silk-road>.

This digital map shows one of the main routes used on the Silk
Road. It also shows major civilizations along the road. This map
gives a visualization and displays the environmental obstacles, such
as rivers and mountains. The map gives the viewer perspective on what
travelers and merchants had to overcome to make a trading trip.

Finnin, D. Food of The Silk Road. Digital image. Traveling the Silk Road.
FoodWineTravel, 15 June 2012. Web. 25 Nov. 2015.
This photo shows a few of the foods that were traded along the Silk
Road. A variety of food was traded along the route. Some include
spices, oils, and fruits. Different regions would contribute in order for a
trading center to have such variety in foods. Certain areas would sometimes
specialize in one fruit or grain and transport that food through merchants.

Foltz, Richard. Religions of the Silk Road: Premodern Patterns of

Globalization. 2nd ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010. Print.
This book told us that Ferdinand von Richthofen invented the term "Silk
Road" for the multiple trade routes in Eurasia. It also gave us an
insight into the religions that spread on the Silk Road. Multiple religions
were diffused through Eurasia but the two main ones are Buddhism and
Islam. These two made the most impact and influenced Eurasia the most at
that time period.

The Silk Road and Ancient Trade. Dir. John Green. Perf. John Green.
Youtube. Crash Course, 22 Mar. 2012. Web. 3 Jan. 2016. <https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfe-eNq-Qyg>.

This video gave information on what countries exported what goods. It also
helped us understand how the Silk Road helped with globalization. The Silk
Road is one of the earliest signs of globalization and for different
communities to interact with one another. This video also taught us how
disease spread quickly throughout the routes. This was especially common
since people at the time didnt have the technology to find cures or make
vaccines. Also, sanitization had not yet been discovered.

Gordon, Oliver. Famous Travelers on The Silk Road. Digital image. The Silk
Road. Cultural China, 3 Sept. 2010. Web. 25 Nov. 2015. <http://
www.cnto.org/iconic/silk-road-2/>.

This image shows the Ningxia desert while camels are traveling on it. The
desert is located in the northern, central area of China. If taking a
certain route, travelers would have to pass through this desert. This desert is
located on the western area of China. Towns were often formed near oases
because it was more convenient. Sometimes, it would take weeks to reach
the next oasis town when traveling in a desert.

Hansen, Valerie. "The Legacy of the Silk Road." The Legacy Of The Silk
Road. Yale, 25 Jan. 2013. Web. 09 Jan. 2016. <http://
yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/legacy-silk-road>.
This website helped us by providing analysis into the Silk Road. It
also included many quotes that are shown on our website. Valerie gave us
more insight into the legacy that the Silk Road left for the globe. The most
important point was that the Silk Road planted different seeds of culture in
new areas. These seeds blossomed and created new cultures that were a
combination of previous ones.

Hansen, Valerie. Silk Road: A New History. New York, NY: Oxford UP, 2015.
Print. 1st edition.

This book helped our project by giving specific details about the Silk
Road. The communities near the Silk Road were more focused on
agriculture rather than commercial needs. Trading of goods was
more common than the use of coins. In this book, the main focus is
archaeological finds that were under covered along the Silk Road. It shows
the valuable and precious history the Silk Road holds.

Kartapranata, Gunawan. "Buddhist Expansion." Buddhism Entering Silk

Road. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Jan. 2016.

This map shows how Buddhism spread throughout Asia. The image also
shows major cities and details of how different types of the religion were
distributed across Asia, mostly in the southeast region. The Buddhism
religion first appeared in India and transported to China around the first
century through the Silk Road. Soon after, Buddhism extended into the
deeper parts of China and South/East of the silk road.

Kimball, Charles. General History of the Middle East. Digital image. Charles
Kimball, 29 Apr. 2000. Web. 3 Jan. 2016.
This map showed the spread of Islam west of the Silk Road. It gives
detail of where the religion had spread and the areas controlled by certain
people and added through the years. People of the religion had a hard time
spreading their believes in the fact that muslims wanted to stay true to their
faith. Later the religion became more dispersed after the conversion of nonmuslims to the islamic religion.

Liu, Xinru. The Silk Road in World History. 1st ed. New York: Oxford U,
2010. Print.

This book helped our project by explaining how the Silk Road
affected world history forever. It explained into deep detail exactly how
these routes fit in the globes history. This source helped with the analysis of
our project and how one event could cause or affect another.

Mark, Joshua J. "Silk Road." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient

History Encyclopedia, 28 Mar. 2014. Web. 14 Dec. 2015. <http://
www.ancient.eu/Silk_Road/>.

The website gave information on the origin of name, how the Silk
Road was formed, important routes that made up the road, and
important dates associated with the Silk Road. This source was crucial in the
beginning stages of our research since we were not yet familiar with our
topic. The article gave us basic knowledge.

Millward, James A. The Silk Road: A Very Short Introduction. 1st ed. New
York: Oxford UP, 2013. Print.
This book helped us in the beginning of our research when we knew limited
information on the subject. For example, how events from the silk road
changed our history and how without the silk road we wouldn't have many
ideas/inventions we have today. Also the book explained that the Silk Road
was neither made "silk" or a road, it was multi route trade system that
consisted of numerous routes on land and sea.

Morgan, Joyce, and Conrad Walters. Journeys on the Silk Road: A Desert Explorer,
Buddha's Secret Library, and the Unearthing of the World's Oldest Printed
Book. Guilford, CT: Lyons, 2012. Print.

Remains of the historical Silk Road were discovered once again when a
Chinese monk broke into a hidden cave in the year 1900. Countless artifacts
were found and discovered. It can almost be called a time capsule. This book
let us take a peep into the reality of the Silk Road.

Neelis, Jason. "Buddhism on the Silk Routes." Washington Edu. University of

Washington, 18 July 2014. Web. 03 Jan. 2016.
This website helped me understand more about buddhism and how
Buddhism diffuse from India into China through the Silk Road around the `
first century. It read that after the first Buddhist community was established,
monasteries began to form around the Silk Road. It also stated that though
the years during the time period, the religion dispersed into the depth of
China and became one of the most important religion there.

Pratima, Kali. "The Decline of the Silk Road." The Decline of the Silk Road.
Republic of China in India, 10 June 2006. Web. 05 Jan. 2016. <http://
in.china-embassy.org/eng/ssygd/sczl/t139384.htm>.
This website helped us gain information on the Age of Exploration. Also,
how the Age of Exploration caused the the downhill of the Silk Road. The

downhill was due after the creation of the sail and compass. After the
inventions, more travelers traveled on sea to explore more lands and rarely
traded through the routes of the silk road. This then lead to the downhill of
the the Silk Road and then the discovery of the Americas and Africa.

Preston, Diana. Turpan. Digital image. Central Asia. Travel, 22 July 2012.
Web. 30 Dec. 2015. <http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/
02282/silkroad4_2282913c.jpg>.

This picture shows Turpan, an oasis located on one of the many routes
of the Silk Road. In the desert there weren't many oasis so when the travelers
ran into one they would take advantage of the area. The travelers and their
animals would stop here to rest and refresh for many days as they please for
they might not see another oasis for weeks or months. Interaction of
diverse people took place at oasis.

Roon, Hans Van. Discover the Secrets of the Silk Road -- before Everyone
Does. Digital image. Mongols China and the Silk Road. N.p., 12
Oct. 2010. Web. 2 Dec. 2015.

Else

The path of The Silk Road stretches from east Asia to the Mediterranean.
This image shows the historical landmarks along the Silk Road, mostly
important cities and trade post. Also, these were the routes taken by the
popular Marco Polo. Marco polo was one of the most famous travelers who
traveled the silk road and had recorded his 24 year journey along the silk
road from Italy to China and Mongolia.

Samuel, Jesse. "Gun and Gunpowder." The Bridge Between the Eastern
and Western Culture. The Silk Road Foundation, 3 Mar. 2007. Web. 5 Jan.
2016. <http://www.silk-road.com/artl/gun.shtml>.

This website gave information on how and when guns and

gunpowder were invented. It read that gunpowder was found on accident
when Chinese alchemists were searching for an elixir of immortality. Instead
they found gunpowder. Gunpowder was utilized in cannons and eventually,
guns. This led to improved weaponry and a much more dangerous and
hostile environment when there was war.

Sanders, Jill. "The Three Kingdoms." Kingdoms of China. N.p., n.d. Web.
30 Dec. 2015. <https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?

q=tbn:ANd9GcRJRaL9wp_9KYTiHl9J7NXRG4D7fCvB6Nwyl7J7Ed6Jys4DhqpKg>.
This map shows three important kingdoms in China during the time period
of the Silk Road. Wei, Wu, and Shu were the names of the three kingdoms.
In fact the reason for The Silk Road was to keep in touch with each kingdom
for political reasons. Eventually, the routes main purpose became to trade
different goods that were not available to areas of Eurasia.

Shelly, Gary. "The History of Paper." The Silk Road. The Silk Road
Foundation, 24 Nov. 2004. Web. 5 Jan. 2016. <http://www.silkroad.com/artl/papermaking.shtml>.
This website provided information on when and how paper was
invented. We learned that the Chinese had invented the paper and that the
man who invented the process was named Cai Lun. he soon discovered that
paper could be made from tree bark but eventually his idea was
overpowered by an advanced process of making paper easier to make.
Without his invention we wouldn't have the advantage today of writing
down important information.

Smith, Dylan. "SilkRoad." SilkRoad. Stanford, 21 Apr. 2007. Web. 14 Dec.

2015. <http://virtuallabs.stanford.edu/silkroad/SilkRoad.html>.
This website contributed to our project by having a specific and
detail-oriented timeline. It showed that many events happened though the
time of the silk road. The timeline gave us an idea of what may have caused
certain events and the effects that came with it. It also, gave us a concept of
how our timeline should be on our project.

Szostak, John D. "Virtual Art Exhibit - Islam." Virtual Art Exhibit - Islam.
University of Washington, 19 Aug. 2014. Web. 03 Jan. 2016.
<https://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/exhibit/religion/islam/
islam.html>.

This site gave me more insight of how Islam had spread through the
Silk Road from the Arab peninsula. It also went in depth of the conversion of
Muslims and non-Muslims west of the Silk Road. It had stated that it was
difficult to change the faiths of muslims but the islams still tired and got
some of the muslims to switch faiths and convert to islamic religion. It also
explains the diversity in all of The Silk Road through religion and faith.

Taonga, Asim. "The Compass." Contemporary Silk Road. Asian Research,

8 Aug. 2013. Web. 5 Jan. 2016. <https://
asiandesignrmit.wordpress.com/2013/08/08/the-compass/>.

This website helped by giving information on the technology used

with the first early compasses and how the invention of the compass led to
the Age of exploration with the help of sailing invention. We also learned
that the compasses was made by the Chinese during the Han Dynasty to
locate gems and for navigation purpose.

Tara, Nitika. "Spreading of Black Death." The Black Death. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Jan.
2016. <https://historyrepeatingdotorg.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/plagueroutes-eurasia.jpg>.

This map shows the path that the bubonic plague followed. The plague was
one of the most deadliest plagues that occurred on the globe. The spread of
the plague was believed to be transmitted by fleas on rats then which
relocated onto humans. Also, the absence of a sewage system aided to a

rapid spread of the disease. It had killed more then half of Europes
population in a four year time period.

Whitfield, Susan. Life along the Silk Road. London: John Murray, 2004. Print.

This book was interesting since it gave us a deeper understanding of what

life was really like on the Silk Road. The author paints a portrait of the
colorful cultures and origins that were exchanged on the trade routes. Life on
the road was vibrant but also challenging. The book explains some
difficulties that travelers faced.

Wood, Frances. The Silk Road: Two Thousand Years in the Heart of Asia.
Berkeley: U of California, 2002. Print.

This book helped our project greatly by providing illustrations and

visualizations of what the Silk Road might look like from a traveler's point
of view. Many manuscripts were included. For example, multiple unique

photographs that were limited edition were also found in the book. This
source was unique from the others since it has such an extended timeline that
lasted for two thousand years. It holds vital history that played a part in our
research.