SECRETS OF THE SILK ROAD: STUDY GUIDE BACKGROUND...

SECRETS OF THESILK ROAD:

STUDY GUIDE&

BACKGROUNDINFORMATION FOR

TEACHERS GRADE 6AND UP

Bowers Museum Education DepartmentMarch 2010

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TABLE OF CONTENTSBACKGROUND: INTRODUCTION TO THE SILK ROAD .................................... 3

What was the Silk Road?............................................................................................... 3Where was the Silk Road? ............................................................................................. 3

CALIFORNIA CONTENT STANDARDS: 6th Grade .................................................. 4CALIFORNIA CONTENT STANDARDS: 7th Grade .................................................. 4PRE-VISIT LESSON: GEOGRAPHY............................................................................ 6

PRE-VISIT ACTIVITY 1: GEOGRAPHY.................................................................. 6PRE-VISIT LESSON: MUMMIES ................................................................................. 7

PRE-VISIT ACTIVITY 2: MUMMIES....................................................................... 7ACTIVITY 3: MYSTERY ITEM ................................................................................. 8PRE-VISIT ACTIVITY 4: TOMBS ............................................................................. 9

PRE-VISIT LESSON: FOOD AND SPICES ON THE SILK ROAD....................... 10PRE-VISIT ACTIVITY 5: FOOD AND THE SILK ROAD................................... 10

PRE-VISIT LESSON: TRADE ..................................................................................... 11PRE-VISIT ACTIVITY 6: TRADE ........................................................................... 11

BACKGROUND: TIMELINE ...................................................................................... 12POST-VISIT ACTIVITIES ............................................................................................ 18

POST-VISIT ACTIVITY 1: WALK IN THEIR SHOES ......................................... 18POST-VISIT ACTIVITY 2: EAST AND WEST -- THE EXCHANGE OFCULTURE AND IDEAS ALONG THE SILK ROAD ........................................... 18

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES (FOR TEACHERS) ................................................... 19EXHIBITION OUTLINE (FOR TEACHERS) ......................................................... 20BACKGROUND INFORMATION & VOCABULARY ............................................. 21MAJOR THEMES .......................................................................................................... 26


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BACKGROUND: INTRODUCTION TO THE SILK ROADSecrets Revealed….For the first time three well-preserved mummies from the Tarim Basin in westernChina are presented in the United States. Secrets of the Silk Road offers the once-in-a-lifetimeopportunity to come face to face with Yingpan Man, an actual Silk Road trader, who lived at thezenith of exchange between East and West - his lavish tomb goods and personal belongings includedRoman glass, bow and arrows for protection, a satin perfumed sash and fine silk clothing. EncounterThe Beauty of Xiaohe, a Bronze Age Caucasian mummy whose origin, culture and fate remains amystery; but whose existence extends the history of the Silk Road back over 2000 years and redefinesthe ancient world.

This historic exhibition of over 150 objects comes from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous RegionMuseum and the Xinjiang Institute of Archaeology in Urumqi, China and includes beautiful clothingand textiles, wooden and bone implements, coins, documents and jewel encrusted objects that reflectthe full extent of Silk Road trade from China to the Mediterranean. Step back in time and experiencethe convergence of ancient civilizations.

What was the Silk Road?The Silk Road was a huge network of trade routes that connected the many different civilizations ofAsia, Europe, the Middle East, and Europe. Today, people can easily go from countries as far apartas China and Italy, but for the people of the Silk Road period, nearly 2000 years ago, it was the onlyinternational road that existed. The Silk Road connected travelers, merchants, soldiers, missionaries,pilgrims, and traders from places as far apart as Ancient China, Persia, India, Arabia and even Rome!The Silk Road was one of the only ways for the people of these ancient regions to trade ideas,technology, religion, and goods.

Where was the Silk Road?The Silk Road wasn’t just one straight road. It was actually made up of many different routes thatwere connected. Most of the Silk Road was on land, and people travelled on it by caravan usinghorses and camels. A few of the routes were maritime (ocean) routes, and the only way to travelthose parts was by boat! While the majority of the Silk Road was located in Asia, the Middle East,and India, some of it did extend to parts of Africa, and some even went as far as Europe!


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CALIFORNIA CONTENT STANDARDS: 6th Grade Visual Arts

1.0 Artistic Perception 3.0 Historical and Cultural Context 4.0 Aesthetic Valuing

History/ Social Science 6.6 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social

structures of the early civilizations of China.7.0 Cite the significance of the trans-Eurasian "silk roads" in the period of the HanDynasty and Roman Empire and their locations.

English/ Language Arts Reading

o 2.0 Reading Comprehension Writing

o 1.0 Writing Strategies Listening and Speaking

o 1.0 Listening and Speaking Strategies

CALIFORNIA CONTENT STANDARDS: 7th Grade Visual Arts

1.0 Artistic Perception 3.0 Historical and Cultural Context 4.0 Aesthetic Valuing

History/ Social Science7.2.5 Describe the growth of cities and trade routes created among Asia, Africa

and Europe, the products and inventions that traveled along these routes(e.g., spices, textiles, paper, steel, new crops), and the role of merchants inArab society.

7.2.6 Understand the intellectual exchanges among Muslim scholars of Eurasiaand Africa and the contributions of Muslim scholars made to latercivilizations in the areas of science, geography, mathematics, philosophy,medicine, art, and literature.

7.3.4. Understand the importance of both overland trade and maritimeexpeditions between China and other civilizations in the MongolAscendency and the Ming Dynasty.

7.3.5. Trace the historical influence of such discoveries as tea, the manufacture ofpaper, wood block printing, the compass, and gunpoweder.

English/ Language Arts Reading

o 2.0 Reading Comprehension Writing

o 1.0 Writing Strategies Listening and Speaking

o 1.0 Listening and Speaking Strategies Science

Geneticso 2.d plant and animal cells contain many thousands of different genes, and

typically have two copies of every gene. The two copies (or alleles) of thegene may of may not be identical, and one may be dominant in determiningthe phenotype while the other is recessive.


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Evolutiono 3.0 Biological evolution accounts for the diversity of species developed

through gradual processes over many generations. As a basis forunderstanding this concepts, students know:

o 3.a both genetic variation and environmental factors are causes of evolutionand that natural selection is the mechanism of evolution.


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PRE-VISIT LESSON: GEOGRAPHY

©Elizabeth Wayland Barber, The Mummies of Urümchi (W. W. Norton Company, New York, 1999)

The items in the exhibition were found mostly in the area around the Tarim Basin, though the actualarchaeological sites are as follows:o Astana Cemetery in Turfano Ulughchat (Wuqia) County;o Turfan, Gaochang Ancient Cityo Zaghunluq, Charchano Alagou (Alqighul, Alghuy), Toksuno South Mountain, Urumqio Niya, Mingengo Alar Cemetery, Rouqiango Subeshi Cemetary, Pichano Qourghas County, Ancient Alimalik

Cityo Sampul, Lopo Yoykan, Hetian, south bank of Kunas

River

o Xinyaun (Kunas) Countyo Bortala, Daltu Ancient Cityo Boma Cemetary, Ilo Mongghul Kura (Zhaosu) Countyo Yeshiliek Cemetery, Tekas Countyo Xiahe Cemetery, Charqilik Countyo Gutai Cemetery, Loulan Cityo Wupu (Qizilchoqa)Cemetery, Hami

(Qumul)o Qawighul (Gumugou) Cemetary,

Charqilik (Ruoqiang) Countyo Jarintay, Nilqa Countyo Yingpan , Yuli (Lopnur) County; Niyao Yurayak, Keriya (Yutian) County.

PRE-VISIT ACTIVITY 1: GEOGRAPHYAsk your students to identify some of the burial sites on a map of China.


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PRE-VISIT LESSON: MUMMIESThe Mummies you will see in the exhibit are very different from the mummies you may have learnedabout before. Egyptian mummies were prepared by removing the organs, and embalming the bodies.The mummies were preserved because they dehydrated using chemicals, and were then wrapped inyards of linen soaked in various ointments and spices. The use of embalming chemicals gave thebodies of the mummies a dark hue.

These Chinese mummies were preserved so well not necessarily by design, but rather because of theunforgiving environmental conditions of the Tarim Basin. During the winter, temperatures droppedwell below zero, and during the summer, the heat was unbearable. These temperature extremesactual “freeze-dried” the mummies!

PRE-VISIT ACTIVITY 2: MUMMIESLook at the mummies below (higher quality images for classroom viewing are included in theassociated powerpoint). Do they seem like mummies you would expect to find in the middle ofChina? Why or why not? How are they different from mummies you’ve seen or studied before?Hint, think of the Egyptian mummies you may have learned about before.

Infant Mummy, c. 8th Century BC且末寶寶Excavated from Zaghunluq, ChärchänXinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum CollectionL: 50 cmL:20”Glass Coffin- L: 80cmW: 50cm H: 130cm

Trappings of “Yingpan Man”, 3rd-4th Century營盤墓主人服飾Excavated from Yingpan, Yuli (Lopnur) County

This infant was about 8-10 months old at the time of death. The tufts of light brownhair and light eyebrows, plus the blue stones covering the baby’s eyes give a clearindication of its key physical characteristics. The baby was found lying on its back andshrouded in dark red wool wrapped with intertwined red and blue cords, giving theappearance of swaddling cloths. Resting on a rectangular piece of felt, the head iscovered in a blue cashmere cap with a red lining. There is a pillow under its head,making it seem as if the baby is sleeping soundly. The face is the only part of the entirebody that is bare, with fair skin and two flat, rectangular stones (2 x 3 x 0.3 cm) over theeyes. (Other infant mummies from Zaghunluq and at other sites in the Tarim Basin hadsimilar blue or blue-green stones covering their eyes. Since stones of such color are notcommon, their use to cover the eyes of dead children must convey important symbolicinformation.) Two balls of red wool yarn are placed inside the infant’s nostrils. Oneither side of the infant were placed an ox horn and a nursing device made from a goat’sudder.

This robe has a collar, a right closure, and two slits on either side ofthe garment. It is made of fine wool with a red background anddesigns of animals (oxen, goats), people, and trees. The pattern issymmetrical with a continuous, repeating motif of a group of nakedhuman figures and animals in pairs around a pomegranate tree. Thisdesign traverses the robe to the hem. The entire pattern reflects theinfluences of West Eurasian art, mainly Greco-Roman and secondarilyPersian.


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Xinjiang Institute of Archaeology CollectionL: 110cm

The Beauty of Xiaohe", c. 1800-1500 BC小河美女Excavated from Xiaohe (Little River) Cemetery 5, Charqilik (Ruoqiang) CountyXinjiang Institute of Archaeology CollectionH: 152cm H: 60.8”

Below are a couple of items people in the Tarim Basin area may have used when alive to protectthemselves from the harsh elements, but that were used as funerary items also.

ACTIVITY 3: MYSTERY ITEMWithout allowing your students to read the text for the item below, ask them to tell you what theythink the item is. You’d be surprised at some of the wild guesses you’ll get!

Bronze Eyeshade, 7th-9th Century銅眼罩Excavated from Tomb No. 227, Astana,TurfanXinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region MuseumCollectionL: 15cm W: 5.1cmL:6” W:2.04”

This mummy has been preserved extremely well, with the entire body covered in an even layer of thick,milky white substance. Quite shapely, the mummy’s e\belly is rather plump. Its eye sockets are deep-setwith long, flaxen eyelashes. The bridge of the nose is high and straight, the mouth open slightly. Theoutline of the thin lips is prominent. The hair has also been covered in the thick, milky substance andthere are some casings from maggots stuck in it. When the milky substance is cleared away, it reveals ahead of thick, flaxen hair with a natural part that has grown long down to the chest.

Except for the head, calves, and feet, the entire body was wrapped in a wide, white wool cloak. The cloakhas tassels that fan outward around the neck and shoulders. The wrap was closed over the front of thedeceased from right to left. At the chest are inserted two engraved wooden pins and two tamarisk sticksthat have been burnt at the end. Poking through the cords on the right edge of the cloak are three smallpouches, 5-6 cm in diameter. One of the bags is tied near the neck inside the cloak. The other two bagsare tied to the cloak on either side of the wooden pins. Inside all three of the bags are broken pieces ofephedra, a kind of evergreen shrub with medicinal properties.

There are numerous other striking attributes of the burial that merit separate description, e.g. the woodenphallus on her chest, the magnificent felt hat, the fine fur-lined leather boots, and the string skirt. All inall, this is a sumptuous burial stunningly beautiful woman who was much loved by those who interred her.

This eyeshade was hammered from a piece of bronze placed over a mold. When itwas discovered it was resting over the eyes of the tomb’s occupant. The style is notdissimilar from today’s eyeglasses. The border of the eyeshade is circled with smallpunch holes that would have been decorated with textiles such as cotton, hemp,silk, or brocade. In the center of the shade small holes have also been punched,allowing the wearer to look out on the world, but also avoid the wind and the sand.

In real life Eskimo and Orochen people have the custom of wearing eyeshades toguard against the strong reflections of the sun from the ice and snow. People wholive in plains also have the custom of wearing eyeshades to keep out blowing sandsand ultraviolet radiation. However in the Turfan region during the Tang dynasty,eyeshades were not for actual use; they were funerary goods used for covering theeyes of the deceased. In the Astana tombs of this time it was customary to coverthe face of cloth. The area where the eyes should be was cut from the face coverand then an eyeshade like this one was sewn to the fabric.


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Brocade Face Cover with Dogwood Pattern, 2nd-4th Century

錦覆面

茱萸回紋Excavated from Tomb No. 3 of Cemetery No. 1, NiyaXinjiang Institute of Archaeology CollectionL: 62cm W: 58cmL:24.8” W:23.2”Acrylic Size – L: 75cmW:75 cm Thickness: 4cmAcrylic Size-L:30”W:10” Thickness:1.6”

PRE-VISIT ACTIVITY 4: TOMBSMany of the objects in the exhibition you are going to see are funerary objects, that is, they areobjects the occupant or their families believed should accompany the deceased person into the nextlife. The Chinese are not the only people to practice this—Egyptian tombs are filled with similarsuch objects.If you were going to plan your tomb, what kinds of objects would you choose to accompany you tothe next life? Describe & explain.

This rectangular face cover is made from a complete width of brocade having a red silkborder on three sides. Two corners have silk ties. The cover is 45 cm wide with white, green,red, and yellow designs of diamonds and stylized dogwood branches on a white background,the who presenting a rich, recurring regularity.


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PRE-VISIT LESSON: FOOD AND SPICES ON THE SILK ROADTravelers along the Silk Road traded more than just silk. The foods of each culture along the SilkRoad had a huge impact on each other. For example, the Chinese noodle inspired the Italian pasta.Additionally, spices were a major commodity traded. Most of the spices we use today, likecardamom, cinnamon, and pepper were originally traded along the Road. In addition to addingexotic flavors to cuisine, they helped preserve foods in a time before refrigerators and coolers.

PRE-VISIT ACTIVITY 5: FOOD AND THE SILK ROADBelow is a picture of one of the food items that you will see in the exhibition. What does the labelsay it is? Does it remind you of any specific item of food from a non-Chinese culture?

Did you know that Chinese noodles influenced the Italians to develop pasta? Look at the picturebelow again. Does that change how you see it?

The Silk Road travelers did not get to travel in the luxury that we travel in today. They didn’t haveplanes that crossed thousands of miles in hours. They definitely didn’t have any in-flightentertainment or meals! What do you think they ate during their trip? How do you think thepreserved their food since they didn’t have coolers or refrigerators?

Wonton, 7th-9th Century餛飩點心Excavated from Astana, TurfanXinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum CollectionL: 3cm W: 2.5cmL:1.2” W:1”

A type of food made of thin dough wrapped around a filling, then boiled andeaten in soup. Wonton existed in different forms in various eras. In the Weikingdom (220-265) of the Three Kingdom period, wonton was described in thebook Guangya as being like a sort of cake. In the Northern Qi period (550-577),an illustrated work describes wonton as being shaped like a crescent moon.From the early textual sources, it appears that people in ancient times did nothave separate words for wonton and dumpling. Whether wonton or dumpling,both were made from thin skins of dough, wrapped around filling, and shapedlike an ear. When this wonton was excavated it was dry and spoiled. Thesurface appears slightly brown. The form is different from dumplings and thisindicates that by this time wonton and dumplings were clearly distinguished.The Ughurs call wonton cuchure. It has been a traditional food of the Ughurs andother nationalities for a long time.


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PRE-VISIT LESSON: TRADE

PRE-VISIT ACTIVITY 6: TRADEDespite its name, the Silk Road was not just a trade route for silk. Spices like cinnamon, cardamom,and pepper were traded. Make a list of all the spices you can think of, and find out if they wereoriginally traded on the Silk Road.

The Silk Road was also a major trade route for tea, and even for precious metals like gold! The goldfor the beautiful tiger, and the fabric used to make the robe below were probably traded along SilkRoad. When you go see the exhibition, make sure you look for items other than silk that may havebeen traded along the Road. What are everyday objects that you use that may have come fromsomewhere else?

Gold Plaque with Tiger Design, 5th-3rd Century BC虎紋圓形金飾牌Excavated from Tomb No. 30, Alagou (Alwighul, Alghuy), ToksunXinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum CollectionDiameter: 5.2cmDiameter:2.08”

Woolen Robe, 5th-3rd Century BC褐長衣Excavated from Tomb No. 4, Subeshi Cemetery, PichanXinjiang Institute of Archaeology CollectionL: 96cm Sleeve W: 160cmL:38.4” Sleeve w:64”

Round molding using repoussage to create a raised tiger design. The front of thetiger’s body is turned, its head held high, giving the appearance of leaping. Its rearis twisted, with one foot grasping for the tiger’s ear. The entire body constitutes acircle with the front paws raised beneath the jaws and the back paws reaching theback of the head; the whole composition is bristling with energy. The molding ofthe tiger, its whiskers, and paws is very subtle and distinctive. At this time, theancient peoples who lived in the Alagou range of the Tangri Tagn must have comein contact with tigers frequently in order to produce this type of design. This piecereflects their considerable understanding of this carnivorous animal’s habits andcharacteristics.

This robe made of pale yellow, rough wool has facing lapels, longsleeves, and a stand-up collar. Two triangular pieces were added toeach side of the hem. It has been completely preserved and is veryrare. The weave of the fabric has a thin warp but a more denseweft. It is well made and is helpful for understanding the weavingtechnology of this era.


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BACKGROUND: TIMELINE

5000-500 B.C

3200 Horse domesticated on south Russian steppe. 3000 Minoan civilization starts, the earliest in Europe. 3000 Silk first produced in China. 3000 Sumerians develop first writing system. 2500 Domestication of the Bactrian and Arabian camel, vital for desert travel. 1700 Horse-drawn chariot introduced in Near East. 1500 Iron technology developed in Asia Minor. 1500 Seminomadic stockbreeding tribes inhaabit steppes. 900 Spread of mounted nomadism. 753 Rome founded. 707 Cimmerians, earliest-known mounted nomads, defeat kingdom of Urartu in Near East. 900-700 Scythians and Sarmatians appear in the northern steppes - two of the first races learn to ride

horses and wear trousers. stirrup. 600s Zoroaster born in Persia. 560s Buddha born in Nepal. 550 Achaemenid Empire established in Persia. 500s Chinese adopt nomadic style, wear trousers and ride horses. 450 Herodotus visits Greek trading colony of Olbia to gather information on Scythians. 551-479 Confucius born in China.

400 B.C.

Empire of Alexander the Great expands into Asia. Greek culture into Central Asia.

300 B.C.

Roman expansion begins. Greco-Bactrian kingdom develops in Central Asia. Parthians establish their empire in Iran. Qin dynasty unites the entire China for the first time. Chinese complete Great Wall as defense against the northern nomads' invasion. Han dynasty overthrows Qin and develops its vast empire. Buddhism begins to spread north. Gandhara art type emerges and starts a new art style - Serindian. Paper first made in China. Achaemenid Empire of Persia.

200 B.C.

Stirrup appears in Indian and Central Asia Greek city-states come under Roman rule. The Xiongnu, later called Huns rise to power in Central Asia and invade Chinese western border

regions.


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Han Emperor, Wu-ti's interests in Central Asia cause him to command the Chang Ch'ien expeditionsto the West, (Fergana and the Yueh-chih). Celestial Horses introduced to China.

Han power reaches Tarim region. The Silkroad under China's control and the route to the West nowopen.

100 B.C.

Mithridates, Parthian king, sends ambassadors to both Sulla and Wu-ti to provide an important linkbetween Rome and China.

Parthians defeat Romans at Carrhae. One of the most disastrous in Roman history. Roman conquers Gaul. Egypt under Roman rule. Gives Rome access to Red Sea and Spice Route trade. Rome officially becomes an empire.

1 A.D.

Silk first seen in Rome. Buddhism begins to spread from India into Central Asia. Roman Syria develops the technique of blowing glass. The industry expands. Kushan Empire of Central Asia. Sogdians trading on Silk Route. Xiongnu raids upset Chinese power in Tarim region. Death of Jesus Christ. Spread of Christianity begins. Chinese General Pan Ch'ao defeats Xiongnu and keeps the peace in the Tarim Basin. The stability of

the Silkroad popularizes the caravan trades into two routes - north and south. China sends the first ambassador to Rome from Pan Ch'ao's command, but he fails to reach Rome. Graeco-Egyptian geographer, Claudius Ptolemy, writes his Geography, attempts to map the Silkroad.

100 A.D.

Rome sends the first Roman envoy over sea to China. Roman empire at its largest. A major market for Eastern goods. Buddhism reaches China. For the next few centuries, Buddhism flourishes, becoming the most popular religion in Central Asia,

replacing Zoroastrianism. The four great empires of the day - the Roman, Parthian, Kushan, and Chinese - bring stability to the

Silkroad.

200 A.D.

Silk is woven into cloth across Asia, but using Chinese thread. Han dynasty ends. China splits into fragments. Sassanians rise to power from Parthians. Strong cultural influence along the trade routes. Barbarian attacks on the Roman Empire. Death of Mani in Persia. Manichaeism spreads throughout Asia, not to die out until the 14th century.

300 A.D.


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Stirrup introduced to China by the northern nomads Secret of sericulture begins to spread west along the Silkroad. Xiongnu invade China again. China further dissolved into fragments. Constantinople becomes Rome's capital. Christianity becomes the official Roman religion. Dun Huang caves starts to appear and becomes the world's largest Buddha caves. Huns attack Europe. Roman Empire splits into two. Fa-hsien, one of the first known Chinese Silkroad travellers by foot and a Buddhist monk, sets out for

India.

400 A.D.

A Chinese princess smuggles some silkworm eggs out of China. Silkworm farms appear in CentralAsia.

New techniques in glass production introduced to China by the Sogdians. Visigoths invade Italy and Spain. Angles and Saxons rise in Britain. Western Roman Empire collapses. Frankish kingdom formed.

500 A.D.

Silkworm farms appear in Europe. Nestorian Christians reach China. Kingdom of Hephthalites (White Huns) in northern Asia, conquering Sogdian territory. Buddhism reaches Japan. Split of the Turkish Kaganate into Eastern and Western Kaganates. Western Turks move to Central

Asia from Mongolian plateau. At the Chinese end of Central Asia, the Eastern Turks or Uighurs are incontrol.

Sui dynasty reunites China. Sassanian Empire at its greatest extent in Central Asia.

600 A.D.

Roman Empire becomes Byzantine Empire. Tang dynasty rules in China. For the first two centuries, the Silk Road reaches its golden age. China

very open to foreign cultural influences. Buddhism flourishes. The Islamic religion founded. Death of Muhammad. Muslim Arab expansion begins. Xuan Zang's pilgrimage to India. The Avars from the steppes introduces stirrups to Europe. Sassanian Persia falls to the Arabs. Muslims control Mesopotamia and Iran, along with the Silk and Spice routes.

700 A.D.


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Arabs conquer Spain in Europe, which introduces much Eastern technology and science to Europe. Arabs defeat Chinese at Talas and capture Chinese papermakers, which introduces paper making into

Central Asia and Europe. Block printing developed in China Tang dynasty begins to decline, and with it, the Silkroad. Glassmaking skill introduced to China by Sogdians.

800 A.D.

First porcelain made in China. Gunpowder invented in China and spread to the West by the 13th century. All foreign religions banned in China. Compass begins to be used by Chinese. Diamond Sutra dated 11 May 868, the world's oldest known printed book made in Dunhuang. Venice established as a city-state.

900 A.D.

Kirghiz Turks in control of Eastern Central Asia, establish kingdoms at Dunhuang and Turfan. Tang Dynasty ends. China fragmented. England unified for the first time. Playing cards invented in China and spread to Europe toward the end of 14th century. The Islamic Empire divides into small kingdoms. Sung Dynasty reunites China. Porcelain developed in China and exported to western Asia.

1000 A.D.

First Crusade. Exchange of technology between Europe and Middle East.

1100 A.D.

China divided into Northern Sung and Southern Sung. Muslim oust the Franks from the Levant. Genghiz Khan unites Mongols. Expansion of Mongol Empire begins. Silk production and weaving established in Italy. Paper money, first developed in China.

1200 A.D.

Death of Genghis Khan. Mongols invade Russia, Poland, and Hungary. The Europe's first envoy to the East, Friar Giovanni Carpini leaves Rome for Mongol capital at

Karakorum. Friar William Rubruck sent to Karakorum by the King of France. Seventh, and last, Crusade.


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Mongol control central and western Asia. Silk road trade prospers again under the "Pax Mongolica." Kublai Khan defeats China and establishes the Yuan dynasty. Paper money introduced to Central Asia and Iran by Mongols. Marco Polo leaves for the East.

1300 A.D.

Turkish Ottoman Empire in power. Tamerlane, with capital in Samarkand, rises and conquers Persia, parts of Southern Russia, and

northern India. Third Silkroad route appears in the north. Ibn Battuta, the first known Arab travels on a 750,000 mile journey to China via the Silkroad. The Black Death spreads throughout Europe. Paper made across Europe. Spinning wheel in Europe. Battle of Crecy between French and English, where cannons used first in Europe. Mongol Yuan Dynasty collapes. Chinese Ming Dynasty begins.

1400 A.D.

Tamerlane defeats the Ottoman Turks, and causes the deaths of seventeen million people. Renaissance period in Europe. Chinese explore the Spice Routes as far as Africa Death of Tamerlane leads to the decline of Mongol power. Ottoman rises again in the Central Asia. Ottomans conquer Constantinople. Gutenberg printing press in use. China closes the door to foreigners. Fearing the power of Uighurs, Ming China reduces the trade and traffic dramatically in the Silkroad.

The Silkroad comes to an end for purposes of silk. Lyon becomes the new center of the silk trade. Columbus reaches America. Vasco da Gama discovers the sea route from Europe to the East via the cape of Good Hope to

Calicut in India.

1500 A.D.

Islam becomes the religion of the entire Taklamakan region.

1600 A.D.

Uzbek Turks appear from the north, settle in today's Uzbekistan. Prince Babur, descendant of Genghis Khan and Tamerlane, extends his empire from the Ferghana

valley to India. Founder of Mogul dynasty. Manchuria rises and invades China. Qing Dynasty established.


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1700 A.D.

Numbers of severe earthquakes in Central Asia damage some of the great monuments. Porcelain produced in Europe. The Manchus, a Tungusic people from Manchuria, absorb the Gobi and Altai districts.

1800 A.D.

German scholar, Baron Ferdinand von Richthofen uses the term "Silkroad" (Seidenstrasse) for thefirst time.

Manchus take over the Tarim Basin. Xinjiang Province created under Qing Dynasty. Elias crosses the Pamirs and identifies Muztagh Ata. Recommends the Wakhan corridor be

established. Younghusband crosses the Gobi Desert, pioneering a new route from Peking to Kashgar via the

Muztagh Pass. Hedin explores the Kun Lun and Takla Makan desert, unearthing buried cities along the old Silkroad. Conway in the Karakoram Mountains. Stein's archaeological investigations of the Takla Makan and central Asia. The Great Game - Tsarist Russia and British India expand in Central Asia.

1900 A.D.

Hedin expeditions. Chinese revolution; end of Chinese dynasties. Europeans begin to travel in the Silkroad Tibet under China's control. Karakoram highway from Islamabad to Kashgar built by China and Pakistan.


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POST-VISIT ACTIVITIESBelow are a couple of activities you can go over with your students after the seeing exhibition.

POST-VISIT ACTIVITY 1: WALK IN THEIR SHOESBased on what you know of the Silk Road, and what you learned while at the museum, imagine youare a traveler on the Silk Road. Trace your journey with one of the objects you saw. Who are you?Are you a trader or simply a traveler? Where did you begin your journey? Where are you going?How did you travel? Where did the object you are carrying originate from? Where did it end up?Think about what it would have been like to travel the Silk Road at various points during its history,and write a page discussing the above questions.

POST-VISIT ACTIVITY 2: EAST AND WEST -- THE EXCHANGE OF CULTURE ANDIDEAS ALONG THE SILK ROAD

During the exhibition, you saw a lot of things that may not have actually originated in China wherethey were found. What are some of the things other than silk that were exchanged along the Road?(Hint, you learned about some of them during one of the pre-visit activities, and you may have evenseen some of them at the Museum!)

What is one major religion that gained popularity as a result of merchants traveling from place toplace and culture to culture? Where did this religion begin? Where is it practiced today? (See objectbelow for hint)

Wooden Buddhist Sculpture, 3rd-4th Century木雕佛教造像Excavated from NiyaXinjiang Institute of Archaeology CollectionH: 64cm W: 18cm Thickness: 9cm(Set: 2 items)H:25.6” W:7.2”Thickness:3.6”

On both sides of these rectangular blocks of wood are standing figures carvedin bas relief with one arm raised and the other resting on the hip. The facialfeatures, fingers, and clothes are outlined in ink. Each figure has its hair tiedup in a chignon and wears a close-fitting top with a round collar and a longskirt. On the lower abdomen the re are four impressions that look like theymight be fingers. This group of sculptures is generally believed to beBuddhist art. The area surrounding where these sculptures were discoveredalso had remains of a Buddhist temple and government offices. Thisdiscovery reflects the influence of Buddhism on the secular lives of the Niyapeople.


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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES (FOR TEACHERS)

Books Life Along the Silk Road by Susan Whitfield The Mummies of Urumchi by Elizabeth Wayland Barber The Tarim Mummies by J.P. Mallory and Victor H. Mair

Web http://www.silkroadfoundation.org

Articles Wade, Nicholas. “A Host of Mummies, a Forest of Secrets.” New York Times. 15

Mar.2010.o http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/16/science/16archeo.html

Klinck, Betty. “European-looking mummies found in China, shown in Calif.” USAToday. 18 Mar.2010.

o http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2010-03-18-silkroadmummies18_ST_N.htm

http://www.silkroadfoundation.org

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/16/science/16archeo.html

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2010-03-18-


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EXHIBITION OUTLINE (FOR TEACHERS)

Introduction Silk Road Height of the Silk Road: The Tombs of Astanä (300-700 AD)

Ancient Texts The “Opening” of the Silk Road: The Yingpän Site (300 BC-AD 500) Early Life of the Silk Road: The Sampul (Shanpula) Cemetery (200BC – AD 200)

Textiles Niya (0-500AD)

Religion Life Before the Silk Road: Zaghunluq Cemetery in Chärchän County (c.1000-600 BC) Life Before the Silk Road: Xiaohe Cemetery (2000-1450 BC)

Mummification Epilogue


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BACKGROUND INFORMATION & VOCABULARY

biA bi is a disk usually made of jade, from the Neolithic period onward as a ritual object used in burials.The significance of this form is not entirely clear, though the round shape may symbolize heaven.

BuddhismBuddhism was founded in the 400s BC in what is now Nepal by Siddhārtha Gautama (c. 563 BCE to483 BC). The essential message is that wealth and material goods do not ensure happiness. Hetaught a path to enlightenment based on his own experiences. Buddhism migrated north from India,arriving in China during the 1st century AD. According to legend, Han dynasty Emperor Ming, heardof Buddhism. He had a dream in which a golden figure floated in a halo of light (perhaps a Buddhistaspara). He sent an envoy to India, who returned with sacred Buddhist texts and paintings as well asIndian practitioners to explain the teaching of the Buddha to the Emperor. The religion spreadrapidly along the Silk Road. Elaborate cave complexes and monasteries were built around the oasistowns, supported by local families and merchants to ensure safe passage of their caravans.

calligraphyCalligraphy literally means “beautiful writing.” It is one of the most respected art forms in China.Chinese characters are written with a brush and ink on paper or silk in a number of different styles.

ConfucianismConfucianism is a philosophy based on the teachings of Confucius (551 BC – 479 BC ). He taughtof the ethical importance of relationships, particularly between a ruler and subjects, between parentsand children, along with the need for benevolence on the part of the ruler and parent, and respect onthe part of the subject and child.

congThe cong is a cylinder with a square cross-section made of jade and often is included in burials. Thesignificance of the form is not entirely clear, though it is thought that its shape may represent heaven(round) and earth (square)

Daoism [pronounced dow-ism and also seen as Taoism)Daoism is an ancient Chinese philosophy based on the concept of the Dao or “The Way,” a forcethat animates the universe and inhabits all things. The philosopher Laozi is believed to have writtenthe Daode jing, a text which taught the importance of living in harmony with the Dao. According toChinese tradition, Laozi lived in the 6th century BC though some scholars contend that Laozi is asynthesis of multiple historical figures, or that he is a mythical figure, or that he actually lived in the4th century BC, concurrent with the Hundred Schools of Thought and Warring States Period.

dynastyA dynasty includes a succession of rulers who belong to the same family and rule over generations.

ephedraIn the context of Tarim Basin burial practices, ephedra has been found in the form of twigs in manygraves. The meaning is unknown.

Ephedra, from the plant Ephedra sinica, has been used as a herbal remedy in traditional Chinesemedicine for 5,000 years to treat asthma and hay fever, as well as for the common cold. It is astimulant which constricts blood vessels, stimulates the brain, and expands the bronchial tubes,making breathing easier. It also increases blood pressure and heart rate.


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Several additional species belonging to the genus Ephedra have traditionally been used for a variety ofmedicinal purposes, and may be related the Soma plant of Indo-Iranian religion. Native Americansand Mormon pioneers drank a tea brewed from an Ephedra, called “Mormon Tea,” but NorthAmerican ephedras lack the alkaloids found in species such as E. sinica.

Ephedra is widely used by athletes, despite the absence of evidence that it enhances athleticperformance. Ephedra may also be used as a precursor in the illicit manufacture ofmethamphetamine. It has also been used for weight loss, sometimes in combination with aspirin andcaffeine (known as an ECA stack).

Museum of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous RegionThe Museum of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is a provincial level comprehensive andhistorical museum in China, located at the Xibei Road in Ǖrümchi. The museum was constructed in1953 and opened to the public on October 1, 1963.

The museum contains a collection of 32,000 cultural relics, 288 of which are rated as national firstclass. The articles on display highlight archaeological finds from the Silk Road along with localcultural relics, including silk, pottery and porcelain, terra-cotta figures, weapons, documents writtenin different languages, and the Mummies of Ǖrümchi, as well as various articles of 12 local ethnicgroups, presenting a vivid introduction to the customs and cultures of different ethnic groups of thearea.

The Mummies of Ǖrümchi are preserved bodies of men, women and babies discovered in the vastdesert. The corpses include a baby who died around 3,800 years ago, still wrapped in swaddling. Themost famous, however, is the “Luolan Beauty,” a corpse of a woman believed to have died in her 40s,and to be of Indo-European ethnicity. Discovered in 1980 in the riverbed of the Tieban in LoulanCity, the corpse is believed to be around 4,000 years old. When found, she was still clutching a smallpurse, and wore leather and fur sandals. It ranks as the earliest and best-preserved mummified bodyin China.

The Museum features two basic displays which include an exhibition of Xinjiang Historical Relicsand one of Xinjiang Folklore. The Museum has held a number of exhibitions at home and abroad,including the Primitive Society of China, Xinjiang Mummies, Xijiang from the Han to TangDynasties (206BC-907AD), Xinjiang Excavations, and Paintings Collected by the Museum, etc.

Nestorian ChristianityNestorianism is a general term for related forms of Christianity practiced in various parts of Asiasince the 5th century. Nestorianism is associated with the Christian view advanced by Nestorius,Patriarch of Constantinople from 428 – 431, which emphasizes a disunion between the human anddivine natures of Jesus.

Nestorius and his teachings were condemned at the First Council of Ephesus in 431 and the Councilof Chalcedon in 451, leading to the Nestorian Schism in which Nestorius-supporting Churches ofthe East broke with Chalcedonian Christianity. Following the schism, many of Nestorius' supportersrelocated to Sassanid Persia, which became the center of a vibrant sect. Nestorian Christianity spreadthrough Persia, entering Central Asia and India at a relatively early date. Nestorian Christianity wasintroduced to the Mongols and China in the 7th century, and was a significant religious influenceduring the time of the Mongol Empire and China's Yuan Dynasty in the 13th century.


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oasis (plural: oases)In geography, an oasis is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring orsimilar water source. Oases also provide habitat for animals and even humans if the area is bigenough.

The location of oases has been of critical importance for trade and transportation routes in desertareas. Caravans must travel via oases so that supplies of water and food can be replenished. Thus,political or military control of an oasis has in many cases meant control of trade on a particular route.

Oases are formed from underground rivers or aquifers such as an artesian aquifer, where water canreach the surface naturally by pressure or by man made wells. Occasional brief thunderstormsprovide subterranean water to sustain natural oases. Sub-strata of impermeable rock and stone cantrap water and retain it in pockets; or on long faulting subsurface ridges or volcanic dikes water cancollect and percolate to the surface. Any incidence of water is then used by migrating birds who alsopass seeds with their droppings which will grow at the water's edge forming an oasis.

sericultureSericulture, or silk farming, is the rearing of silkworms for the production of raw silk. Although thereare several commercial species of silkworms, Bombyx mori is the most widely used and intensivelystudied. According to Confucian texts, the discovery of silk production by B. mori dates to about2700 BC, although archaeological records point to silk cultivation as early as the Yangshao period(5000 – 10,000 BC). About the first half of the 1st century AD it had reached ancient Khotan and byAD 300 the practice had been established in India. Later it was introduced to Europe, theMediterranean and other Asiatic countries.

Sericulture has become one of the most important cottage industries in a number of countries likeChina, the Republic of Korea, Japan, India, Brazil, Russia, Italy and France. Today, China and Indiaare the two main producers, together manufacturing more than 60% of the world production eachyear.

SteppesThe Eurasian steppes, in physical geography, refers to a region characterized by grassland plainswithout trees apart from those near rivers and lakes, a vast region stretching from the westernborders of the steppes of Hungary to the eastern border of the steppes of Mongolia

It is the homeland of Indo-Europeans, settling there as Proto-Indo-Europeans some 6,000 years ago,and where they engaged in agriculture and stock raising. They spread east, south and west for over1,000 years before becoming horse riding nomads.

Although the horse was domesticated in the Eurasian steppe some 6000 years ago, it was first used asa food source, next as a draft animal to pull carts, then later to pull chariots. Some 4000-3000 yearsago first horse-riding Indo-European peoples began herding cattle from horseback, and fought asarchers while riding horses, becoming the first horse nomads (pastoralists). The people of thesteppes of the North were constantly invading the Tarim Basin on horseback.

Taklamakan DesertThe Taklamakan Desert [aka Taklimakan], is a desert in Central Asia, in the Xinjiang UyghurAutonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. It is bounded by the Kunlun Mountains tothe south, and the Pamir Mountains and Tian Shan (ancient Mount Imeon) to the west and north.The name probably may come from a Uyghur borrowing of Arabic tark, "to leave alone/out/behind,


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relinquish, abandon" + makan, "place." Popular accounts define it as an area that means "go in andyou will never come out".

Tarim BasinThe Tarim Basin is a large is enclosed drainage depression that retains water. It occupies an area ofmore than 150,000 square miles. It is located in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China'sfar west. Its northern boundary is the Tian Shan mountain range and its southern is the KunlunMountains on the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. The Taklamakan Desert dominates much ofthe basin. The people living in the area include the Uyghurs, the Tajiks, as well as other Turkicpeoples. Early on, this area was occupied by the Xiongnu peoples, the Huns, the Wusun who livedin the pasturelands to the northwest of the Tarim, and the Yuexhi who eventually migrated from thecorridors of frontier China into the Persian Empire.

The mummies of the Tarim Basin are one of the great finds of the 20th century. They are not the by-products of mummification methods practiced in Egypt, rather they were buried in an aridenvironment and preserved by salty soil and cold winters.

Early explorers and archaeologists of the area include:Sven Hedin (1865-1952)Aurel Stein (1862-1943)Albert von Le Coq (1860-1930)Paul Pelliot (1878-1945)

Ǖrümchi [pronounced ewe-rum-shi] – also seen as ÜrümqiÜrümchi is the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic ofChina, in the northwest of the country. Its name means “beautiful pasture” in the Mongolianlanguage of the Dzungar people. With an urban population of over 2.3 million people, it is by far thelargest city on China's vast Western interior. Since the 1990s Ürümqi has become graduallydeveloped economically and now serves as a regional transport and commercial center.

Although Ǖrümchi, situated near the northern route of the Silk Road, is a relatively young city, in AD648, Emperor Taizong (Tang Dynasty), established the town of Luntai, just a few miles away as a seatof local government to collect taxes from the caravans along the northern route of the Silk Road.

Little was heard of the region following the Tang Dynasty until the conquest of Dzungaria area in1755 under the Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. The Dzungar people were deliberatelyexterminated in a brutal campaign of ethnic genocide. One writer, Wei Yuan, described the resultingdesolation in what is now northern Xinjiang as: "an empty plain for a thousand li, with no trace ofman." After 1759, state farms were established, "especially in the vicinity of Urumchi, where therewas fertile, well-watered land and few people.".

In 1763, during the Qing Dynasty, the Qianlong Emperor named the expanded town of Luntai"Dihua," meaning "to enlighten." In 1884, the Guangxu Emperor established Xinjiang as a Province,with Dihua as its capital.

The city was the site of major rioting in July 2009 due to conflicts between Han and Uyghur ethnicgroups in which nearly 200 people were left dead; most of the victims were Han-Chinese. Reports ofextensive police retaliation against the Uyghur minority have circulated ever since, despite theChinese government having shut down access to emails and overseas phone calls.


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Uyghurs [pronounced wee-gur]The Uyghurs are a Turkic ethnic group of Eastern and Central Asia. Today Uyghurs live primarily inthe Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China, with an estimatedeighty percent of Xinjiang's Uyghurs dwelling in the southwestern portion of the region, the TarimBasin.

Large communities of Uyghurs also exist in the Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,and Uzbekistan. Smaller communities are found in Mongolia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, Russiaand Taoyuan County of Hunan province in south-central Mainland China. Uyghur neighborhoodscan be found in major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Sydney, Washington D.C, Munich, Tokyo,Toronto and Istanbul.

Throughout history, the term Uyghur has taken on an increasingly expansive definition. Initially asmall coalition of Tiele tribes, it later denoted citizenship in the Uyghur Khaganate, a Turkic empirethat existed between the 8th and 9th centuries. Finally it was expanded to an ethnicity, is ancestryderived from two distinct populations, Turkic and Tocharian.

Xinjiang [pronounced shin-jahng] Autonomous Region, also called the Uyghur Autonomous Regionof XinjiangXinjiang, an area of 600,000 square miles, literally means “New Territories.” It became a province ofChina in 1884. The Uyghurs are the main ethnic minority. They began settling there in the 8th

century A.D. There are 46 other ethnic groups living in the area. The capital is Ǖrümchi. With adocumented history of at least 2,500 years, and a succession of different peoples and empires vyingfor control over the territory, Xinjiang has been, and continues to be, a focal point of ethnic tensionswell into the beginning of the 21st century.

XiongnuThe Xiongnu were a confederation of nomadic tribes from Central Asia with a ruling class ofunknown origin. The bulk of information on the Xiongnu comes from Chinese sources. What little isknown of their titles and names comes from Chinese transliterations from their language.

The identity of the ethnic core of Xiongnu has been a subject of varied hypotheses, because only afew words, mainly titles and personal names, were preserved in the Chinese sources. Proposals byscholars include Mongolic, Turkic, and Yeniseian.

Chinese sources from the 3rd century BC report them as creating an empire under Modu Chanyu(who became supreme leader in 209 BC), stretching beyond the borders of modern day Mongolia. Inthe 2nd century BC, they defeated and displaced the previously dominant Yuezhi and became thepredominant power on the steppes north of China. They were active in southern Siberia, westernManchuria, and the modern Chinese provinces of Inner Mongolia, Gansu, and Xinjiang. Thesenomadic people were considered so dangerous and disruptive that the Qin Dynasty beganconstruction of the Great Wall to protect China from their attacks. Relations between early Chinesedynasties and the Xiongnu were complex, with repeated periods of military conflict and intriguealternating with exchanges of tribute, trade, and marriage treaties.


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MAJOR THEMES

Fusion of Eastern and Western cultures and resulting controversies Trade: ideas, culture, religion, spices, tea, objects Religion: Development of Buddhism

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