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Silk Road

Ayaz Kala in northern Uzbekistan was used by the Kushan Empire as a garrison. Source: bbsferrari / Adobe Stock

Pax Kushana: Uncovering the Forgotten Kushan Empire

Nestled at the very core of ancient Central Asian history lies the enigmatic Kushan Empire, a once-powerful civilization that flourished during the critical centuries of the Common Era. Stretching...
South Church of Subeita (Felix Tchvertkin / Adobe Stock)

Excavating Subeita, Byzantine City In The Negev Desert

The Byzantine town of Subeita (Shivta) in the Negev Desert , was an integral part of the Byzantine province of Third Palestine. The Romans had first incorporated it into their Empire in 106 AD, and...
Location of bilingual inscription, which helped linguists crack the ancient Kushan language, in Tajikistan. Source: Bobomullo Bobomulloev / CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

2,000-Year-Old Unknown Kushan Language Is Finally Deciphered

Since the 1960s, archaeologists in Central Asia have found rocks carved with a mysterious unknown language. Now, a team from the University of Cologne has deciphered the unknown script, revealing it...

Ming Dynasty Shipwrecks Resurface off the Coast of South China Sea

In the depths of the South China Sea, a ground-breaking discovery has captured the attention of archaeologists and historians alike. Two ancient shipwrecks, dating back to the illustrious Ming...
Recently discovered textiles in the Aravah point to Silk Road trade in ancient Israel.	Source: Israel Antiquities Authority: Olga Nganbitsky Nofer Shamir, Roy Galili.

Precious Ancient Fabrics from the ‘Israeli Silk Road’ Found in a Trash Heap

Archaeologists have uncovered rare, printed fabrics dating back around 1,300 years. While the fabrics had originated in the East, they were found in an Israeli dump! It is the first evidence of a...
The stone carved chrysalis found at the Shangguo Site in Wenxi County in the city of Yuncheng, north China's Shanxi Province. Source: Provincial archaeology institute of Shanxi/Handout via Xinhua

5,200-Year-Old Carved Stone Chrysalis Unearthed from the Dawn of The Silk Road

Sericulture, or the rearing of silkworms to produce raw silk, was perfected by ancient China as early as the Yangshao period (5000-3000 BC), a thriving Neolithic culture. The marvels of silk and the...
Ground nutmeg, used through history as powerful drug. Source: oksix / Adobe Stock

Nutmeg Poisoning: A Deadly Addition to the Kitchen Cabinet?

A low-cost, high-risk drug hiding in plain sight – in your kitchen cabinet! This is a highly aromatic spice that can change the trajectory of your food, and is sometimes used as a healing agent in...
Zhang Qian leaving emperor Han Wudi around 130 BC, for his expedition to Central Asia. Mural in Mogao Caves, high Tang Dynasty (Public Domain)

A Tale of Silk and Faraway Lands: Did the Romans Meet the Chinese?

Although located on opposite ends of the globe, ancient Rome and China were remarkably similar in their stature, as both commanded respect from the weaker kingdoms enveloped in their spheres of...
In the heart of Mithaka Country, in Queensland's Channel Country, traditional owners and archaeologists have unearthed what researchers have dubbed "Australia's Silk Road," dating back at least 2,100 years. The area's industrial-sized sandstone quarry sites are, to the best of the researchers' knowledge, the largest in the southern hemisphere, putting the trade systems of Australia's Aboriginals on a world scale.

Mithaka: Heart of Australia’s 2,100-year-old Aboriginal Silk Road

More than 2,100 years ago, Australia’s Aboriginal Mithaka people were likely domesticating plants and quarrying stones on an industrial scale to make seed-grinding implements. The Mithaka stone...
Was Marco Polo just another fiction from Rustichiano? Source: Ulia Koltyrina / Adobe Stock.

The Ghost Of Marco Polo Haunting The Fictional Realm

In 2016, Ancient Origins published an article entitled Is Marco Polo a Fictional Characte r? and it led to hate-mail and overall outrage among some readers. It was blown so out-of-proportion that the...
A stunningly made and preserved silk textile, one of many, found at the Astana Cemetery in far northwestern China.		Source: Public domain

The Astana Cemetery and Perfectly Preserved Textiles of Gaochang

The Astana Cemetery is an ancient cemetery located near Turpan, in the autonomous region of Xinjiang, northwestern China. The cemetery was used during the 1st millennium AD by the inhabitants of...
Derbent: Contested Ancient City Stronghold on the Silk Road

Derbent: Contested Ancient City Stronghold on the Silk Road

Nestled between the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus Mountains, the Russian city of Derbent and its famed citadel tells the story of ancient power struggles to control the Silk Road trade route which...
10th Century Astronomical Text of Abd-al Rahman al-Sufi Unveiled

10th Century Astronomical Text of Abd-al Rahman al-Sufi Unveiled

The “suwar al-kawakib" or the Book of Fixed Stars is a 10th century astronomical Arabic text, authored by the famed scholar Abd-al Rahman al-Sufi in the year 964 AD. It was produced by the powerful...
Dancing Figurine from Ancient India Travelled Silk Road To Siberia!

Dancing Figurine from Ancient India Travelled Silk Road To Siberia!

During excavations along the shore of the Ob River near Novosibirsk in southwestern Siberia, a tiny, sculpted object was unearthed that has archaeologists and historians puzzled. The object was a...
The Xianyang International Airport construction site where some of the thousands of new Xian tombs were recently discovered.          Source: Cultural Heritage Bureau of Shaanxi

Thousands Of Tombs Found in Xian, Home of China’s Terracotta Army

The legendary Terracotta Army is a collection of 3rd century BC clay sculptured warriors that were designed to protect Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, on his journey to the afterlife. This...
1,400-Year-Old Chinese Tomb Provides Clues to Sui Dynasty Culture

1,400-Year-Old Chinese Tomb Provides Clues to Sui Dynasty Culture

During excavations at Anyang, a city in central China’s Henan province , archaeologists from the Anyang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology discovered a centuries-old tomb that dates back to...
The ancient wall paintings inside Buddhist cave temple “Cave 465,” located near Dunhuang about 932 miles (1500 km) west of present-day Beijing.

Mystery of Ancient Buddhist Cave Temple Writing Solved

Researchers have successfully dated a set of mysterious phrases discovered on the ceiling of a Tibetan tantric Buddhist cave temple in China. The Mogao Caves are located on the ancient Silk Road in...
Archaeologists have found hoards of objects including ceramic figurines and jade clothing in an exciting discovery of Han period tombs. Source: Xi'an Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology / RT

Han Period Tombs Full of Jade Discovered at the Origin of the Silk Road

In a stunning find, hundreds of artifacts dating back to the golden age of China have been discovered in ancient Han period tombs located at the origin of the Silk Road . Xi ’ an (Sian) city is the...
The remains of the cat fund in Kazakhstan. Source: Ashleigh Haruda / MLU

Silk Road Cat Pushes Back Central Asia Domestication to 8th-century AD

Archaeologists have found the well-preserved remains of a Silk Road cat buried in Kazakhstan that likely dates from the 8th century AD, and the evidence suggests this was a “well-loved pet cat.” In a...
A group of locals posing with the ancient cross in Pakistan.    Source: Pamir Times

Mysterious Ancient Cross Found in Northern Pakistan

Researchers have unearthed a massive ancient cross in a remote mountain area of northern Pakistan . The evidence suggests it is a Christian object from the Middle Ages , but there is also the...
This Bronze Age site in Xinjiang, China may help researchers discover more about the Silk Road’s origins. Source: CCTV

Bronze Age Settlement Uncovered in China Reveals Silk Road Origins

Archaeologists working in the north-west of China have made a very important discovery in relation to the Silk Road’s origins and development. They have found the remains of a Bronze Age settlement...
Much of the Radhanites' overland trade between Tangier and Mesopotamia was by camel. Source: Gaper / Adobe Stock

The Radhanites: A Glimpse into the Trade Networks of the Middle Ages

It is no secret that throughout the classical and early medieval period, trade played an immense role in the economy of the world. Trade routes were spread all over Eurasia, and effectively connected...
Smaller Ayaz Kala ruins. (bbsferrari /Adobe Stock)

The Ayaz Kala Desert Fortresses: Spectacular Silk Road Ruins

Ayaz Kala in is most famous for its mudbrick fortresses; desert ruins echoing tales of the Silk Road. Today, three sets of ruins still stand in remembrance of the days when they served as a defense...
A view of Koshoy Korgon from the inner northern corner, looking south-east. The on-site museum is visible in the background. Source: Firespeaker / CC BY-SA 3.0

Koshoy Korgon: The Alluring Silk Road Fortress

The nation of Kyrgyzstan is little known outside Central Asia. However, this former Soviet republic has many historic remains, because it was located on the Silk Road . This was the trade route that...

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