The Silk Road: An Ancient Network of Exchange

Vocabulary terms and definitions from the lecture regarding the history, logistics, and impact of the Silk Road.

Silk Road

A 7,000-mile overlapping web of paths established around 130 BCE connecting the Han dynasty in China to the Mediterranean.

Caravans

Groups of merchants traveling together for safety against bandits while crossing grueling environments like deserts and mountains.

Caravanserais

Roadside inns or motels built every 20 to 30 miles along trade routes where travelers could rest and water their animals.

Samarkand and Bukhara

Legendary cities that evolved from cultural hubs and rest stops along the Silk Road.

Globalism

The interconnectedness of different parts of the world, first experienced through the massive variety of goods and ideas traded across the Silk Road.

Papermaking

A technology that originated in China and moved to the Islamic world and Europe via the Silk Road.

Decimal System

A mathematical system that traveled from India westward through the technological exchange of the Silk Road.

Maritime Technology

Sailing advancements that eventually led to the decline of the Silk Road as sea routes became faster and safer than land travel.

Ottoman Empire

The rise of this power changed trade dynamics, contributing to the shift away from traditional Silk Road paths.

Conduit for Faith

The Silk Road's legacy of spreading religions such as Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism across continents.