The Silk Road Traders

For over 1,500 years, brave merchants traveled the Silk Road trade routes. They carried silk, spices, jewels, and other valuable goods. The journey was long and dangerous, crossing deserts and mountains. These traders connected the civilizations of East and West.

The Life of a Trader

Silk Road traders traveled in caravans of camels for protection against bandits. The journey from China to Rome could take a year or more. Most merchants only traveled part of the route, selling goods at trading posts along the way. Different peoples, including Sogdians, Arabs, and Persians, controlled different sections.

What They Traded

Chinese silk was the most famous product traded on the Silk Road. Spices like pepper and cinnamon came from India and Southeast Asia. Glassware and gold came from the West. Ideas, religions, and technologies also spread along these routes.

Fun Facts

• Sogdian merchants from Central Asia were some of the most successful Silk Road traders.
• Camels could carry about 500 pounds of goods and travel 25 miles a day on the Silk Road.
• Paper, gunpowder, and the compass all traveled from China to Europe along the Silk Road.

Did You Know?

Marco Polo, the famous Italian explorer, traveled the Silk Road to China in the 1200s and wrote a book about his amazing journey.