Silk Road Caravan Transport

Timeline

1. c. -200–800Chang'an-Samarkand trade route · Central AsiaFrom Chang'an westward, via the Hexi Corridor and the northern and southern routes of the Tarim Basin to Kashgar, crossing the Pamir Plateau to link Samarkand and Persia, caravans relayed silk and Western goods in stages.
2. 1206–1368Full length of the Eurasian steppe-oasis trade route · Central AsiaAfter the Mongols unified Eurasia, route security greatly improved; travelers such as Marco Polo journeyed overland, caravan trade reached unprecedented scale, while the maritime Silk Road began diverting some cargo flows.
3. 1441–1450Dunhuang-Guazhou oasis segment · Hexi CorridorMid-15th-century aridification in the northwest shrank oases such as Dunhuang and Guazhou, pushing resupply intervals beyond camel endurance, while Ming tributary trade and European maritime shipping diverted traffic, sending overland caravan transport into irreversible decline.
4. 1500–1600Mediterranean-Indian Ocean sea routes · Maritime Silk RoadEuropean seafaring nations opened sea routes; ships carried more at lower cost than camel trains, and Silk Road caravans gradually withdrew from the mainstream of intercontinental trade, leaving only regional short-haul transport.