Silk Road
Silk Road Ancient trade route linking China with Europe, the major artery of all Asian land exploration before ad 1500. For 3000 years, the manufacture of silk was a secret closely guarded by the Chinese. Silk fetched extravagant prices in Greece and Rome, and the trade became the major source of income for the Chinese ruling dynasties. By 100 bc, the tax on the trade provided a third of all the Han dynasty's revenue. The silk trade began to decline in the 6th century, when the silkworm's eggs were smuggled to Constantinople and the secret exposed. During the 13th century, European merchants (including Marco Polo in 1271) travelled along the Silk Road when it was controlled by the Mongols. In the 14th century, trade became possible via a sea route to the Far East.
http://www.ess.uci.edu/~oliver/silk.html
http://www.ess.uci.edu/~oliver/silk.html
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Silk Road