From earliest times, materials that were rare or non-existent were imported in Mesopotamia. This exchange of goods was facilitated by the creation of several trade routes; two that ran from Turkey, passing through either Syria or Iran, the latter becoming known as the “Royal Road’.

While silk production is recorded from the 3^rd century CE, it was from the early 700s CE that the Caliphs and Walis invested in and developed Iraq’s industries, especially silk-making. The silk industry came to be almost state-owned to be protected from tyrannical aggression. When silk became the cloth of officials under the caliph, Sulayman bin Abd al-Malik (715-171 CE), this increased demand and production.

Iraq has been a celebrated centre of silk production since Assyrian times. The Iraqi cities, Basrah, Kufa, Anbar, Hira, Nu’maniya, Hazza and Mosul, are all famed for their silks. A key reason for this successful status was the number of Yemeni who settled in Iraq, who were famous for their craftsmanship in textiles. Over time other materials were woven with silk, including cotton and wool, to create new fabrics and garments.

During the Middle Ages, Baghdad acted as an important crossroads for trade routes (by land, river and sea). It served as a lively hub for trade within the region, and especially with neighbouring Islamic states. Internationally Baghdad served trade routes that extended out into East- and South-East Asia, the Mediterranean and Western Europe, even as far as Eastern Africa. Goods that passed through the city included diamonds, soap, ivory, camel fur, honey etc. Items were often traded in Baghdad and then re-exported, along with locally manufactured goods.

Over the past fifty years, archaeological explorations in China have unearthed a wealth of textile materials, some dating as far back as five thousand years. In this magnificently researched and illustrated book, preeminent Western and Chinese scholars draw upon these spectacular discoveries to provide the most thorough account of the history of silk ever written.

Silks from the Silk Road: Origin, Transmission and Exchange is the catalogue for the exhibition “Silks from the Silk Road: Origin, Transmission and Exchange” that took place in September to October 2015 at Hangzhou West Lake Museum.

The 9^th century ports of Ko Kho Khao and Laem Pho in Southern Thailand are uniquely rich in fragments of Chinese porcelain and Middle Eastern glass and glazed pottery. These two “boom towns” yield more Middle Eastern material than any other sites in Southeast Asia. And no site outside China contains such a quantity and variety of late Tang wares.

The trade and subsequent cultural contact between the Indian subcontinent and South Asian countries led to India having a very profound influence on politics, religion, culture and society in the region. Scholars refer to this phenomenon as “Indianisation “ or the “Indianised States of Southeast Asia”.

As merchants continuously expanded their markets, strong commercial, religious and cultural exchanges developed between the inhabitants of Tamil Nadu (India) and Southeast Asian countries. Reference to these exchanges can be found in literature and on inscriptions dating back to the beginning of the Christian era. The flow of Buddhist and Hindu religions spread across boundaries, for example via royal ambassadors being sent from China to erect a Buddhist stupa in Tamil Nadu.

Beads and animal remains further attest to the thriving range of maritime activities in Southeast Asia during the pre- and protohistoric periods. Finds also include balangays, which attest to Filipino ingenuity in boat building and seamanship. With significant maritime trading taking place, a wide diversity of goods have been found, including large quantities of non-Philippine low- and high-fired ceramic shards from a variety of objects. The high-fired ceramics can be traced back to China, Thailand, Vietnam and the Middle East.