Climate-driven desertification and its implications for the ancient Silk Road trade
<p>The ancient Silk Road played a crucial role in cultural exchange and commercial trade between western and eastern Eurasia during the historical period. However, the exchanges were interrupted in the early 16th century CE, during the Ming dynasty. Various causes for the decline of the ancien...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2021-06-01
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| Series: | Climate of the Past |
| Online Access: | https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/17/1395/2021/cp-17-1395-2021.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818439500501614592 |
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| author | G. Dong L. Wang D. D. Zhang F. Liu Y. Cui G. Li Z. Shi F. Chen |
| author_facet | G. Dong L. Wang D. D. Zhang F. Liu Y. Cui G. Li Z. Shi F. Chen |
| author_sort | G. Dong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>The ancient Silk Road played a crucial role in cultural exchange and commercial trade between western and eastern Eurasia during the historical period. However, the exchanges were interrupted in the early 16th century CE, during the Ming dynasty. Various causes for the decline of the ancient Silk Road have been suggested. Unlike social factors, natural factors have not been adequately addressed. In this study, we use evidence from a sedimentary site (Xishawo, XSW) in Dunhuang oasis, together with analysis of
historical archives, to demonstrate the occurrence of extreme droughts and
desertification events in the Dunhuang area post <span class="inline-formula">∼</span> 1450 CE,
which persisted at least for decades. The desertification may be closely
associated with the accessibility of the ancient Silk Road in the area,
which was responsible for a steep fall in the volume of trade, as well as
political chaos and mass migrations. Therefore, besides socio-economic
factors, climate change may have played an important role in trade exchange
between the Ming government and the West and may have even influenced the
rise and decline of the ancient Silk Road.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T17:57:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-905d2f4c842f4bd7801a53c4801e08f3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1814-9324 1814-9332 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T17:57:27Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Climate of the Past |
| spelling | doaj.art-905d2f4c842f4bd7801a53c4801e08f32022-12-21T22:52:31ZengCopernicus PublicationsClimate of the Past1814-93241814-93322021-06-01171395140710.5194/cp-17-1395-2021Climate-driven desertification and its implications for the ancient Silk Road tradeG. Dong0L. Wang1D. D. Zhang2F. Liu3Y. Cui4G. Li5Z. Shi6F. Chen7Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, ChinaCentre for Climate and Environmental Changes, School of Geographical Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaCentre for Climate and Environmental Changes, School of Geographical Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaInstitute for Ecological Research and Pollution Control of Plateau Lakes, School of Ecology and Environment Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650504, ChinaCollege of Tourism, Huaqiao University, Quanzhou 362021, ChinaKey Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, ChinaInstitute of Dunhuang Studies, School of History & Culture, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 73000, ChinaGroup of Alpine Paleoecology and Human Adaptation (ALPHA), State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China<p>The ancient Silk Road played a crucial role in cultural exchange and commercial trade between western and eastern Eurasia during the historical period. However, the exchanges were interrupted in the early 16th century CE, during the Ming dynasty. Various causes for the decline of the ancient Silk Road have been suggested. Unlike social factors, natural factors have not been adequately addressed. In this study, we use evidence from a sedimentary site (Xishawo, XSW) in Dunhuang oasis, together with analysis of historical archives, to demonstrate the occurrence of extreme droughts and desertification events in the Dunhuang area post <span class="inline-formula">∼</span> 1450 CE, which persisted at least for decades. The desertification may be closely associated with the accessibility of the ancient Silk Road in the area, which was responsible for a steep fall in the volume of trade, as well as political chaos and mass migrations. Therefore, besides socio-economic factors, climate change may have played an important role in trade exchange between the Ming government and the West and may have even influenced the rise and decline of the ancient Silk Road.</p>https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/17/1395/2021/cp-17-1395-2021.pdf |
| spellingShingle | G. Dong L. Wang D. D. Zhang F. Liu Y. Cui G. Li Z. Shi F. Chen Climate-driven desertification and its implications for the ancient Silk Road trade Climate of the Past |
| title | Climate-driven desertification and its implications for the ancient Silk Road trade |
| title_full | Climate-driven desertification and its implications for the ancient Silk Road trade |
| title_fullStr | Climate-driven desertification and its implications for the ancient Silk Road trade |
| title_full_unstemmed | Climate-driven desertification and its implications for the ancient Silk Road trade |
| title_short | Climate-driven desertification and its implications for the ancient Silk Road trade |
| title_sort | climate driven desertification and its implications for the ancient silk road trade |
| url | https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/17/1395/2021/cp-17-1395-2021.pdf |
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