Silk Road – unit of work - National Museum of Australia

The RouteYour journey follows one of the main Silk Road trade routes.On a modern map, it leads from Xi’an (in central China), toTurfan (in north-western China), and then on to Samarkand(in Uzbekistan), and Baghdad (in Iraq).Read the text boxes, and use an atlas if necessary to markthese places on the map. One example has been done tohelp you.XI’ANMore than a thousand years ago,Xi’an was the capital of China and thelargest city in the world. From here,camel caravans bearing Chinese silkset out for trade with the west.YELLOW RIVERNear Lanzhou,China, travellers ferried across theYellow River, which fl owed acrossthe route from east to west.GOBI DESERTSilk Road tradersskirted the enormous Gobi Desert,which stretches about 1 600 kilometres)from east to west.TAKLIMAKAN DESERTCaravans inched alongthe edge of the dreaded Taklimakan Desert, movingmostly at night to avoid the scorching sun.TURFANTurfan is an oasis city, surroundedby mountains and desert. For many centuries,markets here provided food and drink toweary travellers and traders.TIANSHAN RANGETwo mountain rangesform a rocky wall between east and west: theTianshan and the Pamirs. Travellers climbedthe passes between these peaks, often pickingtheir way along icy or snow-covered trails.ZAGROS MOUNTAINSCaravans wound through theZagros Mountains on an ancientroad that ran along narrowvalleys and across rough terrain.AMU DARYAThe Amu Darya is apowerful river that runs from the PamirMountains to the Aral Sea. Travellersforded the river, avoiding the dangerouscurrents of summer and spring.SAMARKANDThis prosperous city was the homelandof the Sogdian people, who ran a vast trading networkalong the Silk Road. Merchants of many culturesmingled here, exchanging goods and ideas.BAGHDADThis city was once the capital of the Islamicworld and a remarkable centre of learning. Baghdadscholars studying maths, astronomy and medicinehelped form the foundation for science in the West.© National Museum of Australia and Ryebuck Media 20123

ARRIVINGEnter the name of this city into yourpassport.DESCRIPTIONYour journey along the Silk Roadbegins here in massive Xi’an, thelargest city in the world.This metropolis is home to nearly amillion people, and another millionlive just outside the imposing walls.Imperial buildings, temples andmarkets line the streets, and thecity buzzes with activity. Foreignmerchants, ambassadors, scholarsand musicians fl ock to this urbancentre, stocking the markets withexotic goods and fi lling the streetswith sights and sounds from distantlands.GATHERING THE XI’ANOBJECTSLook at these objects that you seein Xi’an. Answer the questions aboutthem. Do not worry if you are not surewhat they are, or if you cannot answersome questions. You will get moreinformation later that will help youunderstand them.1.1 What are these objects in thepot?1.2 What is happening to them?1.3 Why would people be doingthis?1.4 What is this?1.5 What is it used to produce?1.8 What are these?Now look at theadditional informationon the next page tohelp you with thoseanswers, and also to:◆ Create a fi nal caption for eachobject.◆ Decide what aspect of life in thesummary table on page 1 eachobject is relevant to (e.g. religion,economy, culture, etc.)◆ Decide what it tells you aboutthose aspects in your summarytable, and add the informationand ideas to your table.◆ Create a symbol that summariseswhat you have learned from Xi’anand use it as your exit stamp onyour passport.1.6 What are these?1.7 What is special about them?1.9 What does this show?1.10 What has it got to do withthe objects in 1.8?1.11 Who is this?1.12 Why would there be a statue ofthis person along the Silk Road?4© National Museum of Australia and Ryebuck Media 2012

Additional InformationAMAKING SILKWorkers sort silk moth eggs onto trays, whichare then stored on dry, shaded racks. As theeggs warm, silkworms begin to hatch.As silkworms hatch, they are placed ontrays with chopped mulberry leaves—theirfavourite food. The tiny caterpillars are fragileand must be kept away from drafts, loudnoises, vibrations and even strong smells.Silk farmers tie together bundles of twigs tomake frames where the silkworms will spintheir cocoons. The caterpillars spend severaldays wrapping themselves in soft fi lamentsthat harden as they contact the air, producingfl uffy cocoons.BRELIGIONSThe Silk Road routes also helped the spread of religiousbeliefs. Travellers who wanted to maintain their faiths duringtheir long journeys built shrines and temples along theway—and in the process introduced locals to foreign beliefs.In some instances, missionaries established religiouscommunities for the travelling faithful and recruited convertsin new lands. Here are some of the many different religionsthat you could fi nd along the Silk Road:ZOROASTRIANISM Origin: Iran, c. 500 BC. A religion that stressesthe need for people to do good deeds to keep evil away.DAOISM AND CONFUCIANISM Origins: China, c. 550 BC. Daoismstresses ‘right living’. Confucianism stresses the importance ofmutual obligations and ethical behaviour.NESTORIANISM Origin: Turkey, c. AD 430. A sect of Christianity.JUDAISM Origin: Israel, c. 2000 BC. The religion of the Jews.MANICHAEISM Origin: Iran, c. AD 250. A religion that stresses thedoing of good rather than evil.ISLAM Origin: Saudi Arabia, c. AD 600. The religion of Muslims.Workers collect cocoons in baskets. Thecaterpillars inside must be killed to preventthem from breaking the silk fi laments, sococoons are dunked in salt water, steamedor baked.Cocoons are dunked in hot water to loosen thefi laments, several of which are pulled togetherto form a thread being wound on a reel. Asingle, undamaged cocoon can unwindinto a silk fi lament about 900 meters long!Cocoons immersed in boiling water shows howthe loosened ends of silk fi laments from manycocoons are wound together into threads. The fewerthe fi laments, the fi ner the threads (and thus silks).Ultimately, weavers use silk threads on theirlooms, producing a wide array of patternedsilk fabrics.Workers stretch bundles of silk thread—called skeins—onto a wooden frame andthen rewind them on smaller reels.There were many ways Chinese silk makers would decoratetheir fi ne fabrics—from designs embroidered, or sewn, ontofi nished cloth to a range of thread-dying techniques used atdifferent stages of the weaving process.BUDDHISM Origin: India, c. 450 BC. A philosophy that stresses thatpeople achieve nirvana (a state of being free from suffering) whenthey do no harm (actions that produce pain and grief ) in their lives.CBuddha statues have been infl uenced by both Chinese andIndian traditions. A Chinese-created statue would showBuddha dressed in loose-fi tting Indian garments, but witha Chinese twist: instead of allowing the clothing to revealmuch of the body, the usual practice in Indian depictionsof Buddha, the Chinese artist focused more on the draperyitself, common in Chinese art.DDrumbeats rhythmically pounding in the distance, airy notesfrom a fl ute drifting by on the breeze, gentle tones from abow drawn against strings, all punctuated by the sharpclash of cymbals—these made up the soundtrack of Xi’anduring the Tang dynasty. Indeed, music was a constantfeature of life in Xi’an, enhancing rituals, telling stories andbringing communities closer together through festivityand celebration. Nations to the west sent musicians andorchestras, and Chinese musicians incorporated what theyheard into their own rhythms and melodies.ECHINESE BUDDHAMUSICROAD MUSICMusicians travelled from far and wide to perform in Xi’an.Since travellers on the ancient Silk Road often couldn’tunderstand each other, music allowed them to communicateand interact. It also served as a means to spread religiousbeliefs, such as with popular Buddhist chants and musicalstories promoting Islamic values.© National Museum of Australia and Ryebuck Media 20125

GETTING THEREAfter leaving the fertile lands aroundXi’an, prepare to enter the harsh,unforgiving deserts to the northwest.Travel is slow and tedious throughthe shifting sand dunes, some almostas tall as a skyscraper! Watch for thebrilliant red cliffs called the FlamingMountain—when the sun beats downon them, they appear to shimmer andmove as if on fi re.ARRIVINGEnter the name of this city into yourpassport.DESCRIPTIONAfter months spent baking underthe blazing sun, the caravan hasreached Turfan. At last, here is a lushoasis offering refuge from the harshTaklimakan Desert. Turfan is on theedge of a desert, but irrigation systemsallow farmers to grow acres of crops.Ingenious irrigation systems bringcool water from nearby mountains,offering you and your thirsty camelsa refreshing drink. More important,the water allows farmers here togrow an incredible array of fruitsand vegetables. What’s not eaten byresidents or hungry travellers will betraded along the Silk Road, reachingkitchens thousands of miles away.GATHERING THE TURFANOBJECTSLook at these objects that you see inTurfan. Answer the questions aboutthem. Do not worry if you are not surewhat they are, or if you cannot answersome questions. You will get moreinformation later that will help youunderstand them.Here are typical Turfan night market stalls.2.1 Identify where you see the various products listed. Draw a line from thename to the product. One example has been done to help you.2.6 What does this show?skins feathers gems fruit, vegetables and nuts spices and condimentsdyes aromatics pigments fabrics and textiles medicines wine and beer2.7 What is its purpose?2.8 How would it work?Now look at thisadditional informationon the next page to helpyou with those answers,and also to:◆ Create a fi nal caption for eachobject.2.2 What is this object?2.3 What do you thinkit does?2.4 How would it work?2.5 What would we usetoday?◆ Decide what aspect of life in thesummary table on page 1 eachobject is relevant to (e.g. religion,economy, culture, etc.)◆ Decide what it tells you aboutthose aspects in your summarytable, and add the informationand ideas to your table.◆ Create a symbol that summariseswhat you have learned fromTurfan and use it as your exitstamp on your passport.6© National Museum of Australia and Ryebuck Media 2012

Additional InformationAinterest in animal tails for moresymbolic purposes: Chinese militaryoffi cers might wear them as badgesof honour, or court offi cials as signs oftheir authority.and offered the proceedings a magicalair. Many such aromatics originatedin southern Asia—particularly inIndonesia—but could be found inmarketplaces all along the Silk Road.Karezes at Turfan carry water trappedbeneath the mountains to lush fi eldsmiles away in the desert. Sincekarezes rely on gravity to move waterunderground, no pumps are neededand little water is lost to evaporation.These ingenious systems, or perhapsother irrigation schemes, transformedancient Turfan into an important SilkRoad waypoint, providing water forfruit orchards and thirsty camels alike.B Keeping fruit fresh under thedesert sun is no easy task. Merchantsat desert oases like Turfan sometimespacked melons and other fruit in leadcontainers fi lled with snow and icefrom the mountains before sendingthem along the Silk Road.C People all along the Silk Roadused skins and furs as clothing, butChinese merchants had a particularD Colourful and dramatic, birdfeathers were important trade items onthe Silk Road. Vibrant pheasant andpeacock feathers from southern Asiamade their way north to China andcentral Asia where they were used inmilitary insignias, hats and parasols,as well as in fans and brushes.E Even today, brilliant gems andother natural products such as ivoryfetch high prices. Political envoysfrequently brought precious itemsranging from walrus tusks to emeraldsas gifts to foreign rulers.F People have long sought waysto spice up their meals. Salt, pepper,sugar, mustard and other condimentswere much desired from India to Persiato China. Many of these additivesalso had less familiar uses as drugs,perfumes, preservatives, animalrepellents, cosmetics and aphrodisiacs.G The pleasing aromas of burningincense and scented perfumesdisguised the odours of daily life.Fragrant aromatics enhanced ritualsH Many bright, beautiful pigmentsmade from minerals were used inboth paints and cosmetics across theancient world.I Even today, many textile makersprefer to use natural dyes made fromplants, and sometimes animals, tocolour their cloth. Since the plantsand animals that produce many ofthe most colourful, durable dyeslive only in warmer climates, dyesfrom southern countries were usuallytraded to northern ones.J Sheep wool is familiar enough,but what about camel and yak wool?Central Asian herders long senttextiles and rugs made from camel,yak and sheep wool to marketplacesall along the Silk Road.K Cotton was first domesticatedthousands of years before the SilkRoad and fine cotton weaves wereknown across Asia. By AD 700, Turfanand neighbouring outposts in CentralAsia were producing cotton fabricsthat were particularly popular in China.© National Museum of Australia and Ryebuck Media 20127

Additional InformationA Travellers along the ancient Silk Road broughtstories with them that still delight audiences today.B We may take it for granted today. We may evenclaim we can do without it. But of all the treasuresthat moved along the Silk Road, none was morepowerful than paper. Light, fl exible and inexpensiveto make, paper made an ideal surface for recordingideas. As paper spread from China to the MiddleEast, it opened up a remarkable age of writing,reading and learning.CBC 50AD 100TIMELINE ON THE TRANSMISSIONOF PAPER TECHNOLOGYAD 300–750AD 795AD 1100–1200Chinese craftsmen make the fi rst paper.Chinese people begin to use paper forwriting.The art of making paper spreads west asfar as Samarkand.A paper mill is founded in the city ofBaghdad.The fi rst European paper is made byIslamic craftsmen living in Spain.D Paper is made from plant material or cloth that ismashed to pulp and then formed into a sheet. TheseChinese drawings from the early 1600s show how tomake paper from bamboo.E As paper spread from east to west along theSilk Road, books became more bountiful than everbefore. Chinese artists learned to smear ink on carvedwooden blocks, which they used to print thousands ofpages very quickly. When paper came to the Islamicworld, a passion for reading and writing blossomedthere, and Islamic scholars took the lead in the studyof science, language and literature.F In the 700s, paperwas introduced to theIslamic world, whereit was fi rst used forclerical tasks, such askeeping tax accountsand other records. Afew centuries later, evena text as sacred as theholy Koran was oftencopied on paper.G The arrival of paperhelped science andscholarship blossom inthe Middle East. Thismedical text is basedon the work of Alhazen(AD 965–c.1040), anArab scientist who issometimes called thefather of modern optics.1. Cut plants or piecesof cloth and soak themin water.2. Boil the plants andpound them to a pulp.3. Mix the pulp withwater in a vat. Thetiny fi bres will hangsuspended in the water.Dip a paper mould inand lift it out. It will pickup a thin layer of pulp,forming a sheet.4. Turn out the wetsheet of paper andpress it to squeeze outthe water.5. Hang the paper todry.© National Museum of Australia and Ryebuck Media 20129

GETTING THEREMount your camel and wade across s theAmu Darya, one of the longest rivers rs inCentral Asia. Trudge along the northernrim of Iran’s Great Salt Desert. Watchout for scorpions and snakes. Hikeup and over the rugged passes of theZagros Mountains, then down into theplains of Iraq.4.1 What is this object?4.2 How would it work?ARRIVINGEnter the name of this city into yourpassport.DESCRIPTIONThe journey along the Silk Road hastaken you thousands of miles from theimperial city of Xi’an, China. At last,here is its western rival: Baghdad,capital of the Islamic world.Founded in AD 762, this elegantmetropolis is known as the City ofPeace. Its gleaming palaces andfragrant gardens look down on theTigris River; foreign goods arrivedaily by ship as well as by camelcaravan. An illustrious family of Islamicrulers holds court here. Under theirpatronage, Baghdad has blossomedinto a remarkable centre of learning—ameeting place for scholars, scientistsand philosophers and a storehouse forknowledge from many lands.GATHERING THE BAGHDADOBJECTSLook at these objects that you see inBaghdad. Answer the questions aboutthem. Do not worry if you are not surewhat they are, or if you cannot answersome questions. You will get moreinformation later that will help youunderstand them.4.3 What is this object?4.4 How would it work?4.5 What is this object?4.6 How would it work?4.7 What is this object?4.8 How would it work?Now look at this additional information on the next page to helpyou with those answers, and also to:◆ Create a fi nal caption for each object.◆ Decide what aspect of life in the summary table on page 1each object is relevant to (e.g. religion, economy, culture, etc.)◆ Decide what it tells you about those aspects in your summary table,and add the information and ideas to your table.◆ Create a symbol that summarises what you have learned fromBaghdad and use it as your exit stamp on your passport.10 © National Museum of Australia and Ryebuck Media 2012

Additional InformationA Glass catches the light. Itcan fl ash crystal clear, or sparklewith colour. When molten, it can beshaped as no other material can: witha puff of air. The art of blowing glassdeveloped in the Middle East around100 B.C. Centuries later, it reachednew heights under Islam. Glass fromBaghdad and other Islamic citiestravelled over the trade routes towardChina, where it was treated as therarest of jewels. Most glassworkers inthe Middle East used the same basictechnique to create glass objectsThey gathered molten glass on theend of a blowpipe and then breathedinto it to form a bubble. The bubblecould be reheated and reshaped tomake different vessels, and decoratedwith additional tools.B Glass is made from a mixture ofminerals that are melted and blown,as shown here.1 Mix three basic ingredients:• Sand, containing large amountsof silica, a hard mineral• Soda ash, often made by burningcertain plants• Lime, obtained by heatinglimestone2 Heat the mixture in a furnaceto about 1 370˚ C. Lower thetemperature, then dip the end of ablowpipe into the molten glass.C Artists created these glass samples using techniques from earlyIslamic times.Mould –blownBlow the glass into amould so the surfaceis impressed with adesign.AppliedDribble a stream ofmolten glass on topof the surface.D The most useful device in an Islamic astronomer’s tool kit was the astrolabe,a form of calculator that helped chart space and time. With an astrolabe, a scholarcould determine the position of stars, fi nd latitude, and predict the times of sunriseand sunset, when mosques would give the call to prayer.E Among the most dazzling treasures of the Abbasid age were its inventions:machines that performed all kinds of tasks, from serving drinks to telling time. Oneexample is a water-powered clock designed around 800 years ago by the Arabinventor Abu al-Izz ibn Ismail al-Jazari. As a court engineer, Al-Jazari devisedplans for 50 miraculous gadgets in all, including faucets that spewed wine andwater, mechanical peacocks and a robotic musical band.FWATER CLOCK — HOW DOES IT WORK?ImpressedReheat the glass andpinch a pattern into itwith tongs.3 Blow into the pipe to form a bubble.4 Shape the bubble by rolling itagainst a fl at surface or pinching,pulling or cutting it with other tools.© National Museum of Australia and Ryebuck Media 201211

THE SILK ROAD TODAYWhile caravan merchants of the SilkRoad risked their worldly assetstransporting goods over mountainsand deserts, other traders placedtheir bets on the sea. To reach China,ships sailing from Baghdad had totravel some 9 600 kilometres. Thevoyage took about six months—yetthis was considerably faster thanoverland travel, which could take aslong as a year. Despite the peril ofpirate attacks and shattering storms,sea trade expanded and eventuallyovershadowed the caravan trade.Your journey to four ancient cities alongthe Silk Road is complete. But thesecities—Xi’an, Turfan, Samarkand andBaghdad—still exist today. In someways, they have changed dramatically.In others, they remain the same.Sea trading routesA trading dhow, showing how theside planks were stitched togetherto be watertightFor more informationabout the NationalMuseum of Australia SilkRoad exhibition go to◆ http://www.nma.gov.au/exhibitions/travelling_the_silk_road/home and◆ http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/pastexhibitions/traveling-the-silk-roadThe old capital ofChina remains athriving, bustlingcity, home to morethan 8 millionpeople. Traditionalhomes and palacesfrom many ancientdynasties rubshoulders withnewer constructions,including modernfacilities for theChinese spaceprogram.Fruit orchards stilldot the landscapeof Turfan and theregion is still famousfor its grapes andwine. Now a cityof about 250 000people—more thanhalf of them areCentral Asian peoplecalled Uyghurs—Turfan is todaya predominantlyIslamic city, a shiftthat began duringthe height of theSilk Road.This city of about600 000 people inUzbekistan bearsthe marks of itscomplex politicalpast. Its greatestlandmark is theimpressive Registan,a square enclosedby beautifully tiledIslamic schoolsbuilt between aboutAD 1400 and 1700.But other buildingsaround the cityspeak to decadesunder Soviet rule,which ended in1991.The war-torn capitalof Iraq remains acentrepiece of theIslamic world, asit was during theheight of the SilkRoad. But much elsehas changed. Thecity was decimatedby the Mongolsin AD 1258. In thelast 100 years thepopulation soaredfrom about 200 000to more than sixmillion. Ongoingconfl icts andreconstruction effortswill likely continue totransform the city.12 © National Museum of Australia and Ryebuck Media 2012

What can a journeyalong the Silk Roadtell us about the past?DESERT VOYAGERAdapted to the harsh desert conditions ofCentral Asia and the Middle East, camelsmade ideal pack animals for travel along theSilk Road. These hardy creatures thrived ontough desert plants.They could carry more weight than horsesor donkeys – as much as136 kilograms.And they needed less water. A loadedcamel could sometimes go for 15 dayswithout a drink.Bushy eyebrows andlong, heavy eyelasheshelp protect camels’eyes from dust and sand.Narrow nostrils canclose to protect the nosefrom blowing sand.Camel humps don’tstore water. They storefat, which providesenergy when food can’tbe found.Their thick, tough lips caneven put up with thorns.Camels eat both grassand salty plants thatgrow in deserts.A shaggy wintercoat helps Bactriancamels stay warm inCentral Asia, wheretemperatures can dropto -29˚C. Camel herdersshear them and spin thehair into yarn to weaverugs, blankets and bags.Wide, padded feethelp camels keep theirbalance on rocky pathsand walk across sandwithout sinking.WHAT KIND OF CAMEL?Two-humped camels like the one shown here are known asBactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus). Another species, theArabian camel (Camelus dromedarius), has one hump. Bothanimals hauled goods along the Silk Road.Bactrian camels are fi t for the cold climates of Central Asia,Mongolia and China, and they traveled the eastern traderoutes. Arabian camels were more likely to be used towardthe west. Camel breeders also crossed the two species,producing a hybrid called a bukht, which was strongest of all.© 2012 The Korea Foundation and Ryebuck Media 13