Bridging the Eastern and Western Hemispheres

The Silk Road closed or 'bridged' the gap between the Eastern and Western zones. The Silk Road allowed the Chinese to export and distribute their goods to the western side of the world. The contact that the Chinese provided for the other cultures allowed people and societies to get a 'taste' of other cultures and the Silk Road made this possible. Originally, having cross-cultural contact was very limited and localized between cities and societies. The Silk Road expanded the trade between cultures, broadening its liminality. New technology and 'strong' states are what drives this network and continues to make the trade work successfully. Many important goods that were useful and needed were traded along the Silk Road. These products were spices such as pepper and ginger, cotton, pearls and jewelry, and of course, silk. Without the Silk Road, expansion of cultures could not have happened. This trade network opened many opportunites for the East and the Western states. The Silk Road is a great example of cross-cultural contact.

Contributor’s of the Silk Road

The importance of the Silk Road has been discussed both in class and also by some of my group members. This trade route originated in the east and ended at the Mediterranean. The most important link to establish cultural contact between the Roman empire and the Chinese empire. Contact would not have become so renowned without the help from the generals, diplomats and great monks that left a significant trace. They endured desolate desserts, murderous prairies, and crossed freezing Pamirs in order to spread beliefs and goods.

Ban Chao, a famous general was a diplomat in the Eastern Han Dynasty that built diplomatic relations with more than 50 states. Chao brought long lasting peace and harmony values along the Silk Road

Marco Polo is also a well known explorer that headed for China along the Silk Road. Marco discussed Chinese politics, economy, and culture to influence the the European navigation.

Zhang Quin was an outstanding explorer in Chinese history who opened up the ancient Silk Road and brought reliable information about the Western Regions.
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/silk-road/history/

Contact between Egypt and Rome 41-37 B.C.E

In my history course reviewing ancient history up to the year 1500, we were given an assignment requiring us to choose a book that focused one specific event of this time period. The book I have chosen is titled, The Reign of Cleopatra by Stanley M. Burstein. While reading this book I found the interaction between Cleopatra and Roman leader, Mark Antony, to be one of the most significant cross cultural interactions of this era.

• In 46 B.C.E Cleopatra visited the city of Rome and established a friendship with the roman people that would benefit the future makeup of her empire.
• This friendship, however, was tested in 42 B.C.E when Cleopatra was forced to side with Roman enemy Cassius in a battle against the triumvirs.
• In 41 B.C.E Mark Antony accused Cleopatra of being a traitor because of her ties with Cassius and was summoned to Rome to explain herself.
• After an extravagant and bold entrance by Cleopatra, Antony accepted the explanation Cleopatra gave for siding with a Roman enemy and reclaimed their friendship.
• After a night of seduction, Antony granted new territory to the empire of Cleopatra.
• 40 B.C.E Cleopatra gave birth to Antony's twins, Helios and Selene.
• 36 B.C.E Cleopatra gave birth to Antony's third child, Ptolemy Philadelphos.

This connection between Egypt and Rome was a key component for the trade of the political and economic resources between Africa and Europe. The birth of Helios, Selene, and Ptolemy Philadelphos symbolized a unity between the two nations of Egypt and Rome that would forever connect them politically. Political ideals would be traded and intermixed into the individual cultures that would shape the course of future beliefs and events for each civilization.

For more information on this cross cultural interaction between Cleopatra and Mark Antony: click here

North and South Forks of the Silk Road

The Silk Road is a series of trade routes through regions of the Asian continent mainly connecting Chang'an in China, with Asia Minor and the Mediterranean. Trade on the Silk road was a major factor in the developing of the great civilizations that was connected by the route. The road divides into north and south routes to avoid the Tibetan Plateau. The Tibetan Plateau is not just the largest but also the highest area in the world. It formed due to a full-speed collision of two continental plates. Tibetan Plateau contains Mount Everest and 13 other peaks that reach higher than 8000 meters and hundreds of peaks of 7000 meters of higher. The Plateau averages more than 5000 meters in elevation and with higher elevation the less dense the air is and the harder it is to breath. Due to the physical toll the Tibetan Plateau had on people not accustomed to the area, the trade route was divided and the people either went north or south of the plateau.

Information taken from:
http://www.crystalinks.com/silkroad.html
http://geology.about.com/od/structureslandforms/a/tibetanplat.htm

The Silk Road: The Greatest Cross-Cultural Contact Prior to 1500

The Silk Road was an ancient route established around 206 BC in the Han Dynasty of China for the political contact and trading of goods with the many kingdoms of Central Asia. It consisted of a variety of land and sea routes connecting nearly all of Eurasia. Although it is called the "silk road," silk was not the only product traded along the route. Gold, precious metals and stones, ivory, coral, spices, tea, paper, textiles, and chinaware were also traded between the east and the west. Silk was the most prominent product because it was used as a form of currency in China.

The Silk Road opened up an entire new world to people living western and eastern Eurasia. Many people in the west were exposed to Chinese products for the very first time and were amazed by all the new materials and goods. China, really for the first time in its history, stopped isolating themselves from the rest of the world. For the first time the Chinese traded with foreign countries and brought in foreign ideas and products. The trade along the Silk Road allowed civilization to grow as people had new resources and tools to expand.

The Silk Road was not only a way for goods and products to be traded. People in Eurasia were also exposed to new cultures, religions, ideas and technology. Buddhism spread to China and other areas from India and Christianity spread from the wet over into the east.

Information was taken from the following websites:
http://gallery.sjsu.edu/silkroad/intro.htm
http://www.ess.uci.edu/~oliver/silk.html#8

Shamanism

The video presented in our History 203 class, Lost Civilizations: Africa, talked about ancient African kings using spiritual mediums to find guidance and answers. I wanted to take a further look into the concept of spiritual mediums and see how they were able to communicate with a greater being. Spiritual journeys can be accomplished by many different ways. First is the use of mind altering drugs, such as peyote and ayahuasca, that create a shift into a different state of consciousness. Peyote is a small, spineless cactus and causes hallucination because the chemical, mescaline. The use of drumming, chanting and dancing is another technique used by spiritual mediums to find answers from the spirits. These techniques are a few that shamans use to change their conscious level and allow them to talk to the gods.

Information taken from:
Time Lifes, Lost Civilizations: Africa
http://www.drugfree.org/Portal/drug_guide/Peyote
http://www.theafrican.com/Magazine/shaman.html