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The '''Silk Road''' was an ancient trade route from East [[China]] to Central [[Asia]] and [[Europe]]. The Silk Road was influential because it brought material goods like [[grapes]], [[cotton]], [[chestnut]]s, [[lucerne]], [[pomegranate]]s, as well as false religions like [[Buddhism]] to China; and it led to the westward spread of Chinese technology like silkworm breeding, iron smelting, and papermaking.

The '''Silk Road''' was an ancient trade route from East [[China]] to Central [[Asia]] and [[Europe]]. The Silk Road was influential because it brought material goods like [[grapes]], [[cotton]], [[chestnut]]s, [[lucerne]], [[pomegranate]]s, as well as false religions like [[Buddhism]] to China; and it led to the westward spread of Chinese technology like silkworm breeding, iron smelting, and papermaking.

The Silk road ran for 5,000 miles across Asia and increased trade in silk and fine goods between Asia and Europe. Merchants and their goods did not travel the entire length, however. Approximately every ten miles, a trading post was set up to facilitate the exchange of commodities. Oak would be exchanged for noodles, noodles for pomegranates, pomegranates for slaves, etc. [1] This aragement caused many problems, as it was not uncommon for a landowner to order a shipment of iron ore from Greece and several months later receive a cartload of rotten vegetables. Nominally, the goods were still of equal value and landowners would usually take what they could get, resulting in curiosities such as a fortress in Kuwait made from banana leaves, and a garden path in Southern India paved with salmon. [2]

The Silk road ran for 5,000 miles across Asia and increased trade in silk and fine goods between Asia and Europe. Merchants and their goods did not travel the entire length, however. Approximately every ten miles, a trading post was set up to facilitate the exchange of commodities. Oak would be exchanged for noodles, noodles for pomegranates, pomegranates for slaves, etc. [1] This arangement caused many problems, as it was not uncommon for a landowner to order a shipment of iron ore from Greece and several months later receive a cartload of rotten vegetables. Nominally, the goods were still of equal value and landowners would usually take what they could get, resulting in curiosities such as a fortress in Kuwait made from banana leaves, and a garden path in Southern India paved with salmon. [2]

There is no general consensus as to the date when the silk road began, but [[silk]] from China arrived in Rome before the first century A.D. Although the volume of trade fluctuated across time, the Silk Road remained an important trade route until the anti-[[Ch'ing]] revolution of 1911.

There is no general consensus as to the date when the silk road began, but [[silk]] from China arrived in Rome before the first century A.D. Although the volume of trade fluctuated across time, the Silk Road remained an important trade route until the anti-[[Ch'ing]] revolution of 1911.