Silk roads
Definition
An ancient network of overland trade routes connecting China to the Mediterranean world, active from roughly the 2nd century BCE to the 15th century CE. The Silk Roads facilitated the exchange of goods like silk, spices, and precious metals, as well as the spread of religions, technologies, and diseases across Eurasia.
Examples
- Chinese silk was traded westward to Rome, giving the routes their name
- Buddhism spread from India to China along Silk Road networks
- The Black Death traveled along trade routes from Central Asia to Europe in the 1340s
Key Fact
The term 'Silk Road' was coined by German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen in 1877.
Study This Concept
Practice Silk Roads with free review games in these units: