Notes

The Silk Road is neither an actual road nor a single route. The term instead refers to a network of routes used by traders for more than 1,500 years. Han dynasty of China opened trade in 130 B.C.E. until 1453 C.E., when the Ottoman Empire closed off trade with the West. first used the term “silk road” in 1877 C.E. to describe the well-traveled pathway of goods between Europe and East Asia. Silk road extended across some of the world’s most formidable landscapes, including the Gobi Desert and the Pamir Mountains. With no one government to provide upkeep, the roads were typically in poor condition. Robbers were common. traders joined together in caravans with camels or other pack animals for protection. Many trading goods traveled along the Silk Road. Merchants carried silk from China to Europe. In exchange, horses, glassware, textiles, and manufactured goods traveled eastward. One of the most famous travelers of the Silk Road was Marco Polo (1254 C.E. –1324 C.E.). Born into a family of wealthy merchants in Venice, and Italy.