The Silk Road; Goods and Transportation

Allowed people to access goods they had never seen before.

Connected China and India to Europe and Africa.

The most important trade route in the ancient world, for hundreds of years.

Trade went both ways. From Europe, China received food and animal products, especially furs.

Eastern Europe also was a large exporter of slaves to India and China.

Horses and camels were the primary carries of goods, able to travel long distances and carry heavy loads.

Traders generally traveled in caravans for safety.

The Silk Road was not one single route; it was a complicated series of constantly changing routes.

Routes could go through mountain passes, deserts, steppe, and there were even entirely over-water routes.