Dried fruits and nuts at the spice market in Kashgar
Books make me so happy. The one that's making me happy right now is A History of the Silk Road, by Valerie Hansen. This book focuses on the eastern half of the Silk Road, mostly from Samarkand (which can be thought of as perhaps the midway point of the trade routes) to China and mostly prior to the 8th c ce.
If you've attended one of my classes, then you know that I'm the tiniest bit obsessed with the Taklamakan Desert. Taklamakan means "he who goes in doesn't come out again" and they weren't kidding. It's one of the harshest environments on earth and yet humans beings have not just subsisted here, but built multiple kingdoms and civilizations.
If you've attended one of my classes, then you know that I'm the tiniest bit obsessed with the Taklamakan Desert. Taklamakan means "he who goes in doesn't come out again" and they weren't kidding. It's one of the harshest environments on earth and yet humans beings have not just subsisted here, but built multiple kingdoms and civilizations.
