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The Silk Road, an extensive network of ancient and medieval trade routes linking cities from Beijing to Hangzhou and extending all the way to Constantinople and Cairo, has often been examined through the lens of its major endpoints: China and the West. However, there is a wealth of untold stories about the diverse peoples and cultures that traders encountered along this vast journey. Given its considerable length, it is likely that numerous interactions occurred throughout history. Traders navigated through significant urban centers such as Tehran and Baghdad—cities whose historical importance remains evident today—and traversed formidable landscapes like the Tien Shan mountain range, recognized as the largest east-west mountain range in existence.
Exploring Mountainous Trade Centers
“Historically, many viewed these mountains merely as obstacles for caravans rather than vital contributors to trade,” explains Michael Frachetti, an anthropologist at Washington University in St. Louis. He led a research team utilizing drone-based lidar technology to uncover two ancient cities nestled within these mountainous terrains in present-day Uzbekistan. Remarkably situated over 2,000 meters above sea level—akin to Machu Picchu or Lhasa in Tibet—one of these cities known as Tugunbulak was even larger than Siena, which was one of medieval Italy’s most prominent city-states.
The Complexity of Silk Road Commerce
Frachetti elaborates on the intricate nature of Silk Road commerce: “The network represented not only tangible routes for caravans but also broader exchanges between East Asia and Europe. From my perspective as an archaeologist, I believe that the roots of what we now call the Silk Road can be traced back to the Bronze Age; however, we pinpoint its zenith during medieval times—from approximately the 6th century to the 11th century.”
For further insights into this fascinating topic,read more here.
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