The British Museum’s new exhibition “Silk Roads” explores trade routes from AD 500 to 1,000, showcasing artifacts that illustrate complex cultural exchanges across Asia, Africa, and Europe, challenging traditional views of these routes. Open until February, highlights include a mural from Samarkand and a gilded silver cup from the Galloway Hoard.
The British Museum in London has launched a new exhibition titled “Silk Roads,” showcasing the extensive network of trade routes that existed between AD 500 and 1,000. This exhibition features a diverse collection of artifacts, including Chinese ceramics, Byzantine jewellery, and the earliest known chess pieces, while also focusing on the cultural, ideological, and economic exchanges that occurred across Asia, Africa, and Europe. Co-curator Sue Brunning emphasises that the exhibition portrays a multifaceted view of the Silk Roads, highlighting them as interconnected networks rather than a singular route, illustrating the movement of people, ideas, and objects across vast distances by land, sea, and river. Notable pieces on display include a large mural from Samarkand, Uzbekistan, and a gilded silver cup from the Galloway Hoard, on loan from the National Museums Scotland. The exhibition opens on Thursday and will run until February.
The Silk Road was a series of trade routes that linked various regions and cultures, facilitating not just the exchange of goods like silk and spices but also the transmission of ideas, religions, and technologies. The term ‘Silk Road’ generally refers to multiple pathways that spanned continents, involving complex interactions among diverse communities. This exhibition at the British Museum aims to broaden the understanding of these routes, highlighting their significance during the period of AD 500 to 1,000. The showcased artifacts represent the richness of the interactions that occurred during this time.
The ‘Silk Roads’ exhibition at the British Museum seeks to provide an enriched perspective on historical trade routes, demonstrating their complexity and the diverse exchanges that shaped the societies of Asia, Africa, and Europe. By focusing on the interconnected networks of trade rather than a single route, it highlights the multifaceted nature of cultural interactions through notable artifacts.
Original Source: english.aawsat.com