Analyze The Changes And Continuities In The Silk Road

The Silk Road served as a cultural bridge linking the east to the west on the Eurasian continent. It was an extensive trade route originated from Chang'an in the east and ended at the Mediterranean in the west. This trade included both overland and maritime routes. The society that began the Silk Road was the Han Dynasty in China in approximately 200 B.C.E. The rise and fall of different civilizations and nomadic invasions transformed the Silk Road and its users, and from 200 BCE to 1450 CE the spread of religion continued along the Silk Road. While continuity is seen in the patterns of interaction along the Silk Road, during the time period 200bce to 1450ce in diffusion of religion through the Eurasian continent, clear changes is also seen. These changes include nomadic invasions influence on interaction of cultures and the surrounding regions effect on specific Products traded. Continuity is shown in
Many goods were traded on the Silk Road throughout its history In addition to silk; the route carried many other precious commodities. In addition to silk, the route carried many other precious commodities. Caravans heading towards China carried gold and other precious metals, ivory, precious stones, and glass, which were not manufactured in China until the fifth century. In the opposite direction furs, ceramics, jade, bronze objects, lacquer and iron were carried. Many of these goods were bartered for others along the way, and objects often changed hands several times. This would obviously have been in the interests of the Parthians and other middlemen, who took as large a profit from the change of hands as they could. The first product traded for on the Silk Road was Ferghana horse’s .The Romans traded gold and silver for silk. The fall of both the Han and Roman empires by the 476 CE, the trade declined due to less demand and merchant’s fear of trading on less protected