Extensive trade routes linked the Roman Empire to India and China, bringing luxury goods to the homes of wealthy Romans. The network of trans-Asian trade incorporated both maritime and overland routes. Ships sailed from ports on the Red Sea to India, taking advantage of the seasonal monsoon winds.
The principal overland route consisted of several caravan routes known as the Silk Road, which crossed the Central Asian steppes from the Euphrates and Tigris rivers to China.
A remarkable collection from a palace storeroom found at Begram in Afghanistan contained bronze statuettes, glass vases, plaster medallions and pottery deriving from the Roman Empire, as well as goods from China and India.
Chinese silk found popularity in Rome, where in the 3rd century AD it was valued at its weight in gold. Spices, textiles, ebony and precious stones were obtained from India, in exchange for Roman gold and silver coins, wine, glassware and Arretine pottery.
