Evidence for international trade between the far-flung civilized outposts of the vast Asian continent world dates to at least 1000 BC, when some mummies from New Kingdom Egypt were wrapped partly in silk traded from what is today China. The historical roots of the organized web of trackways which came to be called the Silk Road are traditionally thought to be the 2nd century BC, when Han Dynasty emperor Wu Di commissioned his military commander Zhang Qian to seek an alliance with Persia. Zhang eventually got all the way to Rome and back again.
On November 14, 2009, a new exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History called "Traveling the Silk Road" opened, and it promises to be a terrific experience for anyone who can get to the museum in New York City. This photo essay discusses some of the displays and provides some bits of context for the exhibit that you'll see.
Further Information
- Traveling the Silk Road, Official Exhibition webpage at the AMNH
- Along the Silk Road, background
- Guide to the Persian Empire
- Roman Empire, from Ancient History
Cities along the Silk Road
- Merv Oasis, Turkmenistan
- Chang'an, China
- Ctesiphon, Iraq
- Dura-Europos, Syria
