Join us as we traverse the Silk Road, a vast network of Eurasian trade routes that linked the Eastern and Western worlds from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century. Far from being a single road, this intricate web spanned over 6,400 kilometers, facilitating a global exchange that shaped the course of history.

In this episode, we explore:

• Origins & Expansion: How the Chinese Han dynasty’s search for alliances and powerful "heavenly horses" to fight the Xiongnu nomads kickstarted transcontinental trade.

• The Commodity Exchange: While named for the lucrative Chinese silk trade, these routes also moved porcelain, gunpowder, and paper westward, while horses, gold, and wool moved eastward.

• A Highway for Ideas: Discover how the network spread technologies and ...