As the introduction to this class, the first chapter of this text has an overwhelming amount of information about the geographical context of the Silk Road. However, while the names, cities and dates are plentiful and a bit confusing, there are descriptions of the atmosphere that are quite fascinating.
One interesting development of this early period is described on page 16-17 by Mildred Cable and Francesca French. They illustrate the innovative way in which the inhabitants made use of the abundant snow-melt to create water channels. The harsh terrain and weather of Central Asia made it so that those who did not live there had to come readily prepared to deal with a lack of water and negative 40 degree temperatures.
I enjoyed the account of the way tea was compacted into blocks for transport and was drank every morning. This led into an informative description of the pursuit of water. An unusual anecdote of the time that goes with this, is the superstition that if water was drank unboiled (or untreated) it would cause blisters on one’s feet (page 19).
A final note on chapter 1 that I found interesting, was the detailed depiction of people and clothing. The final few pages gave me an informed idea of just how diverse the trade routes of the Silk Road really were.
I found chapter 2 particularly informative because it captivatingly explained the way silk was made not only by informing readers of the exact process, but by telling it in an accessible narrative tone. After listing the ten rules laid down for the care of silkworms, it is noted that silkworm carers take their precautions very seriously, so much so that they become superstitious - “the silkworms at certain places being informed by their keepers of the arrival of travellers, and if this omitted, any luckless wight (living being) changing on a village unannounced, will receive but scant courtesy, and be driven away with curses, if nothing worse.’ This illustrates another extraordinary belief of the time period.
Chapter 3 describes the penetration of the western end of the Silk Roads by the Europeans, the Buddhist pilgrimage, and the Chinese attempts at reaching Rome. While I enjoyed the account of ancient relics and how each culture described the other, one detail in particular that I found revolting was the war tactics of Alexander the Great such as the gruesome attack of elephants as described on page 38.
More to come soon!
