The bizarre shopping list
The invisible hitchhikers
Ideas, espionage, and stolen secrets
Legendary beasts and extreme travelers
misslily Barter bizarre goods to discover how germs and ideas traveled the ancient Silk Road.
misslily Emperor Tiberius tried to ban men from wearing translucent silk to protect Roman morals and stop gold draining to China.
Where did the Romans believe silk actually came from before discovering silkworms?
misslily This prized laxative traveled a grueling 4,000 miles along the ancient Silk Road.
Tea brick currency: Long before modern digital money, traders used compressed tea bricks to buy horses, pay taxes, and settle debts along the Silk Road.
Why were tea bricks preferred over metal coins by nomadic traders on the Silk Road?
A written statement confirming that money or goods have been received. In the tenth century, a bilingual receipt detailed items bought in Dunhuang for a Khotanese monastery.
misslily Roman Glass on Silk Road
This delicate glass took a thousand-mile ride, Now buried with kings as a symbol of pride.
What luxury European import was highly prized in ancient China due to its unique manufacturing process?
In which unexpected country outside of China has ancient Roman glassware been excavated from noble tombs?