Transcript The Silk Road

The Silk Road
Document-Based Question
Background
Background Essay
• Read essay and answer questions.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn3e37V
Wc0k&list=PLYUdfB5ZM6CAREvaS1ppYFH7H0
QkOZi3o
Choose Narrator
• Go over different characters and students
choose the “voice” they will write in.
The Silk Road
• During ancient times, the Silk Road was just
one of many trade routes that were used.
• For example, the Eurasian Steppe Route
connected China with northern Europe.
• Travelers on this route headed northwest from
China across the Gobi desert and then across
the vast Kirghiz Steppe, which extended from
Mongolia to the Carpathian mountains in
eastern Europe.
Silk
• The silk-making process
– Silkworm caterpillars feed on mulberry leaves for
about five weeks
– Caterpillars spin their cocoons
– Cocoons are placed in hot water
– Cocoons soften and the filaments are unraveled
– Five to seven filaments are joined to make a
thread
– Threads are woven into silk cloth
Silk making
silkworm and cocoon
silk thread
silk fabric
Document A
Pros and Cons
• The flat terrain of the Kirghiz Steppe made the
Eurasian Steppe Route easier to traverse but
the danger of raiding bandits and nomadic
tribes reduced the traffic on this route.
Students answer questions and write
journal entry #1
Eastern Religions
• Buddhism is a religion that started in India
about 2,500 years ago
• Hinduism is considered the oldest religion in
the world. It started in India so long ago that
no one knows exactly when it began.
• Confucianism developed from the teachings
of the Chinese philosopher Confucius (551–
479 BCE).
The Caves
• In the early 300s CE, a Buddhist monk saw a
vision of many Buddhas shining on the cliffs
near Dunhuang.
• Inspired by the vision, the monk began to dig
out caves in the cliffs to use as shrines.
• Buddhist monks continued this practice for
about 700 years, during which time about 500
caves were dug.
Caves of the Thousand Buddhas
• The monks placed clay statues of Buddhist
deities in most of the caves and painted many
of the walls with Buddhist images.
• These honeycombed caves became known as
the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas.
Document B – The Dunhuang Caves
Document B Related Videos
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/440/video
Dunhuang
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccSd2pm
Oq9o
Cave of the Thousand Buddhas
Buddha
Discovering the caves
• In 1900 a Taoist monk called Abbot Want was
poking around in Cave 16 of the Caves of the
Thousand Buddhas.
• This cave had been abandoned for about a
thousand years.
• Wang found a concealed door, opened it, and
found a small cave walled floor to ceiling with
scrolls and paintings.
What they found
• He had discovered, by accident, the world’s
oldest paper archive!
• The room contained manuscripts from 400 to
1000 CE.
• Jewish, Buddhist, and Confucian texts were
there, and also secular texts, dealing with the
economy and social structure of the region.
• We learned about the ancient Silk Road from
this discovery.
Cultural diffusion
• The ancient artwork found in the Silk Road
regions had a strong multicultural influence.
• For example, sculptures of the Kushan Empire
incorporated the artistic styles of Greece and
India.
• The influence of Greek art can be traced to
Alexander the Great, who conquered areas
into central Asia.
Cultural diffusion
• Greek and Indian
sculptural styles also
transferred along
the Silk Road.
• These styles
influenced Buddhist
art, including some
found as far away as
Japan.
Students answer questions and write
journal entry #2
Document C – Crossing the Taklimakan
Taklimakan Desert
Traveling Across the Taklimakan Desert
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=px5OGJ0
NRWU
caravan
The desert
• The Taklimakan Desert covers about 125,000
square miles.
• Has small hills and shifting sand dunes
• Temperatures can reach 100° F
• Located in current-day northwestern China
Water in the desert
• Because of the short supply of water, Silk Road
travelers sometimes chose to travel this area
in the winter when they could carry blocks of
ice to use for their water supply!
Choosing a route
• There are fewer oases in the southern route of
the Silk Road, so the northern route was an
easier route to follow
• As a result, the southern route was less
popular with bandits
• Therefore, travelers often chose to take the
southern route to avoid the bandits
Oasis
Navigation
• During the warmer months, caravans often
traveled at night and used the stars to guide
them.
• Most caravan guides were trained in nautical
schools in India where they had learned to
navigate by the stars
Students answer questions and write
journal entry #3
Document D
The terrain
• The Pamir Mountains form a rugged range
where the Himalayan, Hindu Kush, Kunlun,
and Tian Shan mountains meet.
• It is one of the highest mountain ranges in the
world, with an average height of 13,000 to
15,000 feet.
• The mountains are mostly bare rock, with
deep canyons gouged out by swiftly running
streams.
• Some of this range is covered by grass, but
trees are few.
• The Pamirs are located mostly in present-day
Tajikistan
Pamir Mountains
Pamirs
Marakanda
• Many markets in Marakanda sold rugs.
• The rugs came from neighboring areas such as
nearby Khotan.
• The rugs were vividly colored with Chinese
and Central Asian designs and often had
metallic thread in them
Persian Rugs
Marakanda
• The city of Samarkand (formerly Marakanda)
remains a vibrant urban area in the nation of
Uzbekistan.
• Its economy is based on cotton ginning, silk
spinning, wine production, and fruit canning.
• The region around the city has an excellent
climate and good soil for crops
Economy in the area
• Like in 200 CE, Uzbekistan still
grows today:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
cotton
carrots
cucumbers
onions
melons
apricots,
pears
grapes
figs
Students answer questions and write
journal entry #4
Document E
The Parthians
• The Parthians came from a region southeast
of the Caspian Sea
• The land was conquered by the Persians
around 520 BCE, and then by Alexander the
Great (Greek) around 330 BCE.
• The Parthians gained their independence
around 235 BCE and soon ruled a large empire
Parthian Empire
Invaders
• The Parthians rarely took the military
offensive, but often had to defend themselves
against invaders such as the Romans
• Around 224 CE, the Sassanians overthrew the
Parthians, ending their empire
Antioch
• Inside the city, a wide avenue was lined with
columns
• Merchants set up their wares between the
columns
• The city was divided into section for different
trades such as leatherworking, metalworking
or weaving
• Wealthy merchants lived in mansions outside
of the city (suburbs)
Columns
Silk again
• Many Romans greatly desired silk
• So much gold was paid for the silk that the
Roman empire’s supply of gold was drained!
• This was one of the reasons the Roman
empire eventually collapsed!
Pliny the Roman historian says:
• Pliny is credited with saying that the cost of
silk and spices and other Asian imports “drain
our empire of one hundred million sesterces
every year. That is the price that our luxuries
and our womankind cost us!”
sesterce
Students answer questions and write
journal entry #5