East and West: Han China and the Roman-Greek Mediterranean
By the turn of the Common Era, two huge wealthy entities existed at opposite ends of Eurasia: the Roman Empires eastern and wealthiest, provinces, and a unified China under the Han Dynasty.
In between the two lay a series of states. Valuable goods were traded through areas such as Persia and Kushan.
City-building flourished in India at the same time, adding to the trade opportunities, and opening ways for sea-borne trade to cut out the middlemen.
In between the two lay a series of states. Valuable goods were traded through areas such as Persia and Kushan.
City-building flourished in India at the same time, adding to the trade opportunities, and opening ways for sea-borne trade to cut out the middlemen.
Two important maps have been handed down from this time. One is an actual drawn map, the 'Tabula Peutingeria', and the other is a written description of ports, the commodities they had, and the distances between them. This is 'The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea'. More useful links at bottom of page
Periplus of Erythraean Sea: upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Map_of_the_Periplus_of_the_Erythraean_Sea.jpg
The ruins of Merv, a Silk Road City : www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/research/merv/merv
Article on Silk Road Buddhism: www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/buddhism.htm
Greek influence on Chinese art of the Han Period www.theguardian.com/science/2016/oct/12/ancient-greeks-may-have-inspired-china-terracotta-army-sculptors-ancient-dna