The Bahrain fortress was built close to the seashore around the 3^rd century AD, presumably by Persian Sasanian kings. Islamic coins bearing the symbol of a member of the Salgharid family have revealed that it was reused and transformed during the 13^th century. In the 14^th century, a new fortress was built by the Kings of Ormus and restored by the Portuguese in the late 15^th century. In the Qalat al Bahrain, Chinese coins from the Tang and Song dynasties and ceramics from various origins were found.

Ancient ceramics, which are usually well conserved in tropical climates, constitute valuable evidence for the dating of excavation sites and the study of historic cultures and trade relations. Peninsular Malaysia was a stopover for merchants travelling from East to West and vice versa on the maritime Silk Road, and ceramics were also transported on the inland river routes. Excavations in Malaysia, especially in ancient ports, have revealed porcelain from various origins including China, India, the Middle East and several Southeast Asian countries.

Sumatra was influenced by Indian culture from the 6^th century AD onwards. The kingdom of Srivijaya became an important centre of Buddhism. There are various archaeological traces of the development of Buddhism in Sumatra from the 7^th to the 14^th century AD, such as inscriptions, religious buildings and bronze and stone sculptures. Many of these artefacts have a Tantric character, which corresponds to parallel developments in East Java. Tantric Buddhism reached Sumatra already during the 7^th century AD.

In 1975, the discovery of Chinese ceramics in the sea near Shinan launched a series of underwater excavations close to the Korean peninsula. They revealed a shipwreck which was subsequently explored and salvaged over nine summers, from 1976 to 1984. It belonged to a Chinese merchant ship from the 14^th century AD which had sunk on its way along the sea Silk Road. Inside the ship, over 20 000 pieces of ceramics and a large number of other objects were found.

Monasteries in Bulgaria have a long history and have always occupied a significant position in Bulgarian public life. Many of them were built in sacred sites which can be traced back to the Protobulgarians, who came to the West from Asia on similar routes to the later Silk Roads. On their way to Europe, the Protobulgarians came in contact with numerous tribes and peoples from different parts of Asia and were influenced by their culture and religion. In turn, their beliefs had an impact on Orthodox Christian dogmas.

In the 1980s, the Istituto italiano per il Medio ed Estremo Oriente (ISMEO) carried out excavations in Nepal in cooperation with the Lumbini Development Trust. In Gotihawa, these excavations were conducted around the Ashokan pillar and stupa which were erected during Mauryan times. They have revealed, among other things, fragments of cord- or mat-impressed ware of Neolithic tradition. In Sisania, the examination of surface materials has provided evidence for the presence of a large craft centre during the time of the Kushan Empire.

The Shōsōin in Nara contains a unique collection of very ancient works of art from different countries along the Silk Road, many of which reached Japan via the trade routes. The works that are conserved in the Shōsōin were offered to the temple by the Empress Komyo and her daughter Koken after the death of the Emperor Shomu in the year 756 AD. They form a carefully chosen, coherent collection and have influenced generations of artists.

In the 20^th century, excavations provided new information on the contacts between the Roman Empire and ancient India. Roman artefacts, such as pottery, textiles and jewellery, were found in various sites along the Coromandel coast as well as in the hinterland in Southeast India. These sites formed part of a vast trading network on the land and on the sea. Ships from the Roman Empire usually sailed to the Indian West coast and the goods they brought were then transported to the East coast on Indian vessels or via the land route.

The religious cults practiced by Central Asian nomadic tribes before the rise of the Sasanian Empire were varied, and some bore similarities to Zoroastrianism. Archaeological evidence from sites in Bactria, Magiana and Sogdia has revealed how the myths, gods and their representation as well as funerary rites in Central Asia evolved and spread from the Bronze Age until the arrival of Islam in the seventh century AD.

The first semi-nomadic Turkish tribes living north of the Chinese border used to inhabit cylindrical tents with dome-like roofs known as öy or üy, which are still in use in several areas along the Silk Road. The tombs of these early tribes bore a similar shape. They were originally made of metal and plaster, a structure which was later replaced by similar-looking stone constructions. Funerary rites and architecture spread from Central Asia along the Silk Roads to the Balkans, and they survived over many centuries until the Ottoman Empire.