Silk Road
Ancient spice highway
The Silk Road was the ancient network of trade routes connecting China to the Mediterranean, named for the silk that traveled westward along with spices, ideas, and religions.
The term was coined in the 19th century and romanticizes centuries of overland commerce.
In the 2010s, Silk Road also became the name of an infamous darknet marketplace for drugs and other illegal goods, shut down by the FBI in 2013: He bought bitcoin to use on Silk Road. (Lowercase silk road describes any analogous trade route.)
Medieval Venetian who reached China
- expeditionOrganized exploratory journey
- discoveryAct of finding something
- travelogueAccount of journeys abroad
- navigationDetermining position and course
uncharted · adventurers · explorers · frontier · territory · mapping · journey · accounts
Aromatic food flavorings
- porcelainTranslucent fired clay
- jadeCarved ornamental mineral
- glasswareDrinking containers of silica
- incenseAnger greatly, or aromatic resin
tea · ivory · gold · gems · textiles · carpets · paper · gunpowder
Enlightenment-seeking Eastern religion
- ZoroastrianismAncient dualistic Persian religion
- IslamQuranic monotheistic religion
- syncretismFusion of different beliefs
- cosmopolitanismBelief in shared humanity
lingua franca · Sanskrit · art · music · dance · architecture · philosophy · astronomy
Humped desert mammals
- caravansaryInn for traveling merchants
- oasisFertile desert spot
- merchantsThose who conduct commerce
- dromedarySingle-humped camel species
pack animals · desert crossing · laden · wayfarer · caravaneers · waystation · convoy · expedition
Encrypted decentralized money
- TorAnonymous routing network
- darknetEncrypted anonymous network
- marketplaceVenue for commerce
- FBIU.S. domestic intelligence agency
shutdown · drugs · contraband · anonymous
Asian mountain range
- KarakoramCentral Asian mountain range
- Gobi DesertLarge Asian arid region
- steppeTreeless Eurasian grassland
- terrainLand's physical features
Marco Polo
Medieval Venetian who reached China
- expeditionOrganized exploratory journey
- discoveryAct of finding something
- travelogueAccount of journeys abroad
navigation · uncharted · adventurers · explorers · frontier · territory · mapping · journey · accounts
spices
Aromatic food flavorings
incense · tea · ivory · gold · gems · textiles · carpets · paper · gunpowder · perfume
Buddhism
Enlightenment-seeking Eastern religion
- ZoroastrianismAncient dualistic Persian religion
- IslamQuranic monotheistic religion
- syncretismFusion of different beliefs
cosmopolitanism · lingua franca · Sanskrit · art · music · dance · architecture · philosophy · astronomy · mathematics
Samarkand
Historic Central Asian city
camels
Humped desert mammals
- caravansaryInn for traveling merchants
- oasisFertile desert spot
- merchantsThose who conduct commerce
dromedary · pack animals · desert crossing · laden · wayfarer · caravaneers · waystation · convoy · expedition · yurts
cryptocurrency
Encrypted decentralized money
- TorAnonymous routing network
- darknetEncrypted anonymous network
- marketplaceVenue for commerce
FBI · shutdown · drugs · contraband · anonymous
Hindu Kush
Asian mountain range
- KarakoramCentral Asian mountain range
- Gobi DesertLarge Asian arid region
- steppeTreeless Eurasian grassland
- Famous RoutesRoute 66, Oregon Trail, Trans-Siberian Railway, Pan-American Highway, Orient Express
- trade routesspice route, cargo routes, merchant routes, salt route, commercial routes
- Ancient roadsAppian Way, King's Highway, Watling Street, Icknield Way, Ridgeway
- historic walkwayscobblestone streets, Roman roads, pilgrimage routes, ancient trails, Appian Way
- Age of ExplorationColumbus, Marco Polo, exploration, explorers, expeditions
- history termsempire, dynasty, colonialism, Renaissance, Enlightenment
Silk Roadisolationism
Policy avoiding foreign alliances
closed borders · protectionism · trade embargo · autarky · economic isolation
road, silk, silky, railroad, broaden, roadway, roadside, roadblock, crossroads