Objects, including those found in the Fukinoki tomb in Nara, demonstrate the cultural and artistic influences that arrived in Japan via the Silk Road. The designs of dragons and phoenixes, which can be seen on gilt belt plaques, bear a striking resemblance to similar ones that have Scythian origins. Meanwhile a gilt bronze crown that was found there, is very similar to a crown discovered in North Afghanistan.

As a meeting point for travellers by land and sea routes, Thailand’s situation in Southeast Asia acted as a land bridge between the mainland to the north and the archipelagos to the south. Archaeological finds, including coins, ceramics, and beads provide evidence of cultural interactions, migration, and the settlement of a variety of ethnic groups. Indians were among the first visitors (by land), sharing trade links and spreading their faiths (Buddhism and Hinduism).

The Jesuit contribution to the religious and cultural dialogue between Europe and Asia in the 16th to the 18th centuries was as remarkable an achievement as it was a precarious. Certainly, it created ambiguities and tensions, but it did open the door to an indigenous and acculturated Christianity that promised a deep and enriching encounter between East and West.

The precise date when exactly Muslims reached the Korean peninsula has been difficult to determine. References to “Ta-shi” (Arab Muslims) can be found in Oriental records that date from the 11^th century AD, but there is also evidence that Muslims were in contact with the Korean peninsula from as early as the 7^th century. In fact by the 8^th century, Muslim navigation manuals reveal that they were plying the eastern seas regularly, establishing colonies along their routes.

During the second millennium B.C., Indo-European peoples, which were known archaeologically as the Andronovo culture, settled in Southern Kazakhstan. They left behind a rich repository of petroglyphs, which they carved into stone cliffs at their cultic centres. While petroglyphs can be difficult to date, because the stone had existed for millennia before being carved upon, the techniques used to carve the pictographs have assisted in the dating process.

The archaeological sites that are centered around Lumbini, Nepal, are unique because of their connections with the birth and life of the Lord Gautama Buddha. Up until the 1990s there had only been minor disturbances to some of the famous sites. However, with growing interest in Buddhism, the creation of a major pilgrimage centre at Lumbini and the uncontrolled development taking place in Nepal, the condition and the environment of these sites could change adversely in a very short space of time.

The resurgence of ethno religious groups claiming their descendancy from the earliest Muslim communities who settled in Quanzhou has led to the Ding lineage being incorporated into the Hui people in 1979. The Hui people form the largest of 10 Muslim nationalities in China and are the 20^th century descendants of Arab and Persian ancestors. This is borne out by the abundance of preserved family genealogies, gravestones, stele inscriptions and dynastic records, which are now recognized as part of local Chinese culture.

The Chinese began to forge links with and travel to many countries in Southeast Asia from early times. This can be seen from archaeological finds across the region and is recorded in the literature of the time. Inscriptions in the form of epigraphic materials also provide insights into the travels of the Chinese during the period, including likely origins and departure and arrival sites.

Kyongju, the capital city of the Silla dynasty, was slow to be influenced by foreign elements arriving from the northwest owing to its situation on the peninsula. This meant that Silla was able to assimilate foreign influences that arrived via the Silk Roads slowly rather than accepting them directly and indiscriminately. After unification on the peninsula, Silla became increasingly exposed to external influences.

Over time, the overland Silk Road and the maritime ‘Spice Road’ both played important roles in the transfer and enrichment of art forms in the regions through they traversed and connected. The development of Buddhist art provides clear evidence of the development of Asian art during this time. Buddhist art started in India and was modified in Central Asia and the Southeast Asian regions.