Traded Goods
One of the most famous goods traded on the Silk Road was silk, which China had been making as early as 5000 BCE. Chinese silk weavers became highly skilled at creating expensive cloth with detailed patterns, often worn by royalty and wealthy merchants (Sheng, 2010). These patterns, which included flowers, dragons, and lucky phrases, were both beautiful and rich in cultural meaning. However, even before the Silk Road officially began, people in ancient South Asia were already making textiles. Archaeologists have found terracotta figurines in places like Mehrgarh, Nausharo, and Harappa that wore skirts, turbans, and leg coverings, showing early skills in weaving and clothing design (Hildebrandt, 2017). Some figurines were decorated with beadwork, gold sequins, and button seals, possibly showing social status or religious beliefs. These early textiles reveal that styles and techniques were already being shared long before the Silk Road existed (Hildebrandt, 2017).
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