The Arabic language is spoken in sixteen modern states alongside the historical Silk Road. Classical Arabic is used for religious and ceremonial purposes, having an archaic vocabulary. Modern Standard Arabic is a modernized variety of Classical Arabic. In most Arab countries only the well-educated have adequate proficiency in Standard Arabic, while over 100,500,000 do not.

Swahili is the national language of Tanzania, spoken by at least 15,000,000 people across the country (according to a survey from 2012). It is also the national language of Kenya, where the language is known as Kiswahili, and is spoken in Somalia. Read more about this language on the Ethnologue website.

Urdu is an Indo-Aryan language and the national language of Pakistan, and is closely related to and mutually intelligible with Hindi, though a lot of Urdu vocabulary comes from Persian and Arabic, while Hindi contains more vocabulary from Sanskrit. Linguists consider Standard Urdu and Standard Hindi to be different formal registers both derived from the Khari Boli dialect, which is also known as Hindustani. At an informal spoken level there are few significant differences between Urdu and Hindi and they could be considered varieties a single language.

The Chinese language (汉语/漢語 Hànyǔ; 华语/華語 Huáyǔ; 中文 Zhōngwén) is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages.

Northern dynasties, 4-6^th centuries

L81cm；W33cm

The floral roundels were embroidered with silk threads in blue, beige, brown and other colors on tabby ground. The flowers are either in six or four petals, indicating that it has been randomly produced.

This small figurine representing an elephant and his mahout is from Meroë and dates to the Meroitic period. The animal proudly stands on four legs, ears flapping away from the face, and the trunk slightly bent back between two massive tusks- wait for the order to advance. A ring attached to the mahout’s head was used to suspend the object. The fact that he holds a shield shows us that we have here a war elephant.

The figure assumed to be the master wears a luxurious conical hat and armor and has a sword at the waist. His horse is fitted out with ornaments, saddle, stirrups, and other details. In the center of the horse's forehead is a horn-shaped ornament, suggesting that the vessel was made for ritual purposes. The face is quite exotic with a sharp, high nose and deep-set eyes. The other figure, apparently the servant, has a bare torso and his hair is done in a topknot. He is waving a bell and carrying a bundle on his back. The trappings on his horse are quite simple.

Deir Mar Elian al-Sheikh is located in Al-Qaryatain, a city in the Syrian Desert steppes. It is located on the road between Damascus and Palmyra which leads to the Islamic palace of Qasr al-Hayr al-Gharbi and the Roman dam of Kherbaqa. Al-Qaryatain is strategically positioned for trade routes and pilgrim routes, with Damascus to the south, Palmyra to the north-east, and Hawaren village and the bath of Abu Rabah, Sadad and Homs to the west. It formed an important station on the road of the commercial caravans between Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean Coast.

Some 28 tons of Chinese coins from various historical periods were lifted. They ranged from Huoquan coins, issued in A.D. 14 during the short-lived Xin Dynasty founded by Wang Mang, to Yuan Dynasty currencies such as Zhida Tongbao and Dayuan Tongbao, both minted in 1310.

Provenance: Dodeok-do, Bangchuk-ri, Jido-myeon, Sinan-gun, Jeollanam-do

Materials: Copper Alloy

Accession Number: Sinan 7232

This small ceramic statue represents a lion figure standing on four small simple legs. Two tusks appear from the sides of his mouth, while textile folds cover the bodies of the carriers of this legendary animal. The cloth-like body extends from the back of its ears till the top of its back legs. Decorations are executed with blue color on a beige bed under a green-tinted glaze.