The Silk Road

Network of trade routes, which linked the regions of the ancient world in commerce; between China and the Mediterranean The Silk Road: introduction

Officially established in Han Dynasty (206 BC AD) –Expanded in 114 BCE by Zhang Qian Yuan Dynasty (Kublai Khan), trade from China along the Silk Road peaked. (Pax Mongolia). The Silk Road: introduction

Silk A valuable cloth Originally made only in China Fine, strong, soft, lustrous, warm/cool Produced by silkworms Technique/process of sericulture (silk making) were closely guarded secrets Revealed secrets/smuggled silkworm eggs or cocoons outside of China = punished by death. The Silk Road: introduction

The ancient silk road of china

What was traded? - Goods, religions, idea, technologies, diseases Historical Significance: - Contributed to the development of civilizations (China, Indian Sub-continent, Persia, Europe, Arabia) - Established political and economic relationships The Silk Road

Products Traded along the Silk Road ProductsArea of Origin Wool, gold, silver, ivory, jewels, metals, figs, walnutsEurope JarsMediterranean GlassMesopotamia and Egypt OilBaku (Azerbaijan) Dates, pistachios, peaches, walnuts, Tyrian purple, indigo, frankincense, myrrh, storax, muslin cloth, wine, glassware, olive oil, silver vessels, glass and stone beads Persia, Middle East IncenseSouthern Arabia Household slaves, pets, arena animals, exotic furs, cashmere wool, raw and finished cotton, spinach, sandalwood, palm oil, cane sugar, perfumes, gems, gold, ivory, opium, glass and stone beads India CinnamonIndia, Sri Lanka JadeKhotan (northwestern China) Silk, skins, iron, mirrors, weapons, porcelain, lacquerware, nephrite jade, rhubarb, ivory, paper, grain, gunpowder, medicines, Epsom salts, elixirs, ginseng, snake bile, seaweed China Silver, goldSouthern China, Tibet, Indochina Spices, aromatic roots, resinsSoutheast Asia SulphurIndonesia CamphorChina, Japan, Borneo, Indochina

4,000+ miles long Many routes; some dangerous Marco Polo traveled to China along the Silk Road. The Bubonic plague (Black Death) traveled to Europe from the Silk Road. Goods were traded at trade posts. Few merchants traveled entire route. The Silk Road: Fun facts

Culture: the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively. Cultural diffusion/ exchange: the spread of cultural items (ideas, lifestyles, religions, technologies, languages etc.) betweenindividuals from one culture to another. Globalization: The tendency of businesses, technologies, or philosophies to spread throughout the world, or the process of making this happen. Innovation: a new method, idea, product, etc. (typically something that makes life easier) Trade: the business of buying and selling or exchanging items The Silk Road: Vocabulary

Caravan: group of people, especially traders or pilgrims, traveling together across a desert in Asia or North Africa. Caravansaries: an inn with a central courtyard for travelers in the desert regions of Asia or North Africa. Bandit: a robber Cargo: goods carried by caravans to be traded Emissary: a person sent on a special mission, usually as a diplomatic representative. Mirage: optical illusion seen by travelers on the Eastern Silk Road caused by the heat of the desert. The Silk Road: Vocabulary

The Silk Road: routes

The silk road: religions

The Silk Road: languages

The Silk Road: territories

The Silk Road Geography & climate

Vocabulary Economy the wealth and resources of a country or region, especially in terms of the production and consumption of goods and services. Trade the action of buying and selling goods and services. Scarcity the state of being in short supply; Tradeoff Balance achieved by compromise Specialization when a nation or individual concentrates its productive efforts on producing a Limited variety of goods Vocabulary

Supply & Demand the amount of a commodity, product, or service available and the desire of buyers for it, considered as factors regulating its price. Exchange Rate Price for which the currency of a country can be exchanged for another country's currency Incentive a thing that motivates or encourages one to do something. a payment or concession to stimulate greater output or investment Middle man a person who arranges business or political deals between other people. Vocabulary

Barter exchange (goods or services) for other goods or services without using money. Money a current medium of exchange in the form of coins and banknotes; coins and banknotes collectively. Economic Interdependence Participants of economic system are dependent on others for the products they cannot produce efficiently themselves Vocabulary

Crash Course

- Introduction to the Silk Road & Questions - The Dynamics of Trade along the Silk Road - Belief Systems Along the Silk Road & Questions - Silk Road Timeline - A Journey Along the Silk Road Poster Project - The Growth of Cities The Silk Road:

Interactive maps