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How did silk travel from China to the ancient Mediterranean world?

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Portrait of King Henry VIII of England wearing ornate 16th-century royal attire with a fur-lined cloak, gold jewelry, and a feathered hat, standing against a dark background. — Dress Henry VIII, painting by Hans Holbein the Younger, c. 1540.

Silk traveled from China to the ancient Mediterranean world primarily via the Silk Road, a vast network of caravan tracks spanning approximately 4,000 miles (6,400 km).12

The route originated in Chang’an (modern Xi’an) and followed the Great Wall of China toward the northwest. From there, the path bypassed the Takla Makan Desert, traversed the Pamirs mountains, and crossed through Afghanistan to reach the Levant. Once the goods reached the Levant, they were shipped across the Mediterranean Sea to reach markets in the Roman Empire and beyond.12

Because the journey was immense, few individuals traveled the entire distance. Instead, merchandise was handled in a staggered progression by various middlemen. This trade route served as a vital conduit for luxury goods, with Chinese merchants exporting silk to Western buyers in exchange for items such as wool, gold, and silver.21