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It was more a mesh of overland routes that connected western China to Iranian highlands, steppe routes and from there over to the Black sea and Mesopotamia. Thi
by namaria 2y ago
It was more a mesh of overland routes that connected western China to Iranian highlands, steppe routes and from there over to the Black sea and Mesopotamia. This was not a direct trade route but rather a series of interconnections. Intensity probably varied a lot over time as well.
The idea of a very lucrative direct connection between China and the Mediterranean is bunk, but the connectivity, people and goods movement was there for a long, long time, on and off.
- pcthrowaway 2y agoWell then, who's to say the silk road doesn't still exist? Silk is still traded. There is still commerce between China and Iran. Perhaps the whole world and all the infrastructure are part of the silk road!
- throwaway19972 2y agoAbsolutely it does—China's belt and road project is marketed as "the new silk road" very intentionally.