SILKROADSILKROADProducer: GAOProducer: GAOLCLCCONTENTSINTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTIONCLASSIC SILK ROADCLASSIC SILK ROADHISTORYHISTORYSIGSIGN NIFICANCEIFICANCE3INTRODUCTIONThe The Silk RoadSilk Road, or , or Silk Silk RouteRoute, is a series of , is a series of trade and trade and cultural transmission routescultural transmission routes that were central to cultural that were central to cultural interaction through regions of interaction through regions of thethe Asian continent Asian continent connecting West and East by connecting West and East by linking traders, merchants, linking traders, merchants, pilgrims, monks, soldiers, pilgrims, monks, soldiers, nomads and urban dwellers nomads and urban dwellers from from ChinaChina to the to the Mediterranean SeaMediterranean Sea during during various periods of time.various periods of time.INTRODUCTIONThe Silk Road gets its The Silk Road gets its name from the name from the lucrative lucrative Chinese silk trade, a major Chinese silk trade, a major reason for the connection of reason for the connection of trade routes into an extensive trade routes into an extensive transcontinental network. transcontinental network. So, some scholars prefer So, some scholars prefer the term Silk Routes the term Silk Routes because the road included an because the road included an extensive networkextensive network of routes. of routes.CLASSIC SILK ROADCLASSIC SILK ROADNorthern RouteNorthern RouteSouth-west RouteSouth-west RouteOverland routesSouthern RouteSouthern RouteChangan/ Changan/ LuoyangLuoyang GansuGansu MervMerv(Turkmenistan(Turkmenistan) )Ganges/BrahmapuGanges/Brahmaputra Delta tra Delta HimalayasHimalayas Tibet TibetKarakoramKarakoram PakistanPakistan AfghanistanAfghanistan Levant AnatoliaLevant Anatolia /North Africa /North AfricaHISTORYPrecursorsPrecursorsHellenistic eraHellenistic eraOpening of the Silk RoadOpening of the Silk RoadRomanRoman EmpireEmpireMedievalMedievalMongol ageMongol ageDisintegrationDisintegrationRe-establishmentRe-establishmentModern dayModern dayChinese exploration of central AisaChinese exploration of central Aisa PrecursorsPrecursorsThe Tarim mummiesTarim mummies, mummies of non-Mongoloid, apparently Caucasoid, individuals, have been found in the Tarim Basin, in the area of Loulan located along the Silk Road 200 kilometres (124 miles) east of Yingpan, dating to as early as 1600 BC and suggesting very ancient contacts between East and West.Hellenistic eraHellenistic eraProbable Greek soldier in the Sampul Probable Greek soldier in the Sampul tapestrytapestry, , woollen wall hanging, 3rd2nd century BC.woollen wall hanging, 3rd2nd century BC.CoinCoin depicting the Greco- depicting the Greco-Bactrian king Euthydemus Bactrian king Euthydemus (230200 BC)(230200 BC). .Chinese exploration of Central AsiaChinese exploration of Central AsiaWoven silk textileWoven silk textile from Tomb No. 1 from Tomb No. 1 at Mawangdui, Changsha, Hunan at Mawangdui, Changsha, Hunan province, China, dated to the Western province, China, dated to the Western Han Era, 2nd century BC.Han Era, 2nd century BC.A pottery horse head and A pottery horse head and neck (broken from the body) neck (broken from the body) of the Late Han Dynasty of the Late Han Dynasty (1st2nd century AD)(1st2nd century AD). .Roman Empire & MedievalRoman Empire & MedievalA Westerner on a camel, Northern Wei Dynasty (386534).A sancai statue of a foreigner with a wineskin, Tang Dynasty (618907).Mongol ageMongol ageMap of Marco Polos travels in 12711295.The Mongol Empire and its sphere of influence.SIGNIFICANCETransmission Transmission of artof artTransmission Transmission of Buddhismof BuddhismCultural exchangesRe-establishmentRe-establishmentItalian pottery of the mid-15th century was heavily influenced by Chinese ceramics. A Sancai (Three colors) plate (left), and a Ming-type blue-white vase (right), made in Northern Italy. Iconographical evolution of the Iconographical evolution of the Wind GodWind God. . Left: Left: Greek Greek Wind Wind God from Hadda, 2nd century.God from Hadda, 2nd century.Middle: Wind God from Middle: Wind God from KizilKizil, Tarim Basin, 7th century., Tarim Basin, 7th century. Right: Right: JapaneseJapanese Wind God Fujin, 17th century. Wind God Fujin, 17th century.TRANSMISSION OF ARTTRANSMISSION OF ARTTRANSMISSION OF BUDDHISMTRANSMISSION OF BUDDHISMAtisaAtisa of Bengal travelled to Tibet and Sumatra, pioneering new schools of Mahayana Buddhism, 10th-11th century.Central Asian monk teaching East Asian monk, 9th10th century.THANKS FOR WATCHING!