A network of overland and maritime trade routes connecting East Asia, Central Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and the Mediterranean world, active from roughly the second century BCE into the fifteenth century CE. Not a single road but a shifting web of caravan tracks and sea lanes, it carried silk, spices, precious metals and ideas, including the spread of Buddhism, gunpowder and paper making technology, alongside goods. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
Disputed
Completion YearThe Silk Road was a network of routes that grew over centuries rather than a single built work with one completion date. One common marker historians use is the Han dynasty's westward expansion into Central Asia around 114 BCE, though overland trade contacts existed earlier and no single completion date is agreed. Classification
Heritage DesignationInternationally Recognized (World Heritage) 1 SignificanceConnected East Asia to the Mediterranean for over a millennium, carrying goods, technology and ideas alongside trade. 1 Sources
1. Wikipedia: Silk Road
Wikipedia- Overview
Lead section
The network began with the expansion of the Han dynasty (202 BCE - 220 CE) into Central Asia around 114 BCE
Introduction, active period
The Silk Road was a network of Asian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century.
UNESCO designation section
UNESCO designated the Chang'an-Tianshan corridor of the Silk Road as a World Heritage Site in 2014, and the Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor in 2023.
Article lead
UNESCO designated the Chang'an-Tianshan corridor of the Silk Road as a World Heritage Site in 2014
In Group: Ancient Roads and Trade Routes, Lead sentence
The Silk Road was a network of Asian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century.
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