Take Home Exam # 3 What is the Silk Road? How did the Silk Road commerce? What were some of the major economic, social, and cultural consequence of Silk Road commerce? As classical empires reduced the costs of long-distance trade, merchants began establishing an extensive network of trade routes that connected much of Eurasia and northern Africa. These routes are known as the “Silk Roads” because high-quality silk from China was one of the principal commodities exchanged over the roads. Connected China and the Roman Empire. Started in the Han capital of Chang’ an and went west to Taklimakan Desert. There the road split into two main branches that separated the desert to the north and south. The Silk Roads avoided the Taklimakan Desert “The Desert of Death” and passed through the oasis towns on its outskirts. There one branch separated off to Taxila and northern India while the main branch continued across northern Iran. There it met roads coming from Arabia and ports on the Red Sea. The Silk Roads also provided access at ports like Guangzhou in southern China that led to maritime routes to India and Ceylon. …show more content…
China was the only country where cultivators and weavers had developed techniques for producing high quality silk fabrics. Spices served as drugs, anesthetics, aphrodisiacs, perfumes, aromatics, and magical potions. Central Asia produced large, strong horses and jade that was highly prized by Chinese stone carvers. The Roman empire traded glassware, jewelry, works of art, decorative items, perfumes, bronze goods, wool and linen textiles, pottery, iron tools, olive oil, wine, and gold and silver bullion. Mediterranean merchants often imported raw materials such as uncut gemstones which they exported as finished products in the form of expensive jewelry and decorative