The term "Silk Road" (Richthofen)
El término «Ruta de la Seda» (Richthofen)
- Date
- 1877 · confidence high
- Place
- Berlin, Germany
- Credited to
- Ferdinand von Richthofen
- Field
- Cosmos & Earth
What was discovered
In the first volume of his work on China the German geographer coined the expression "Seidenstrassen" for the caravan routes linking China with western Asia. It gave a name and unity to a network of roads previously known only in sections.
The term became popular in the 20th century through Sven Hedin's book (1936); the routes had been used long before and were called otherwise.
What it led to
- the concept of the Silk Road in historical geography and cultural tourism
- the explorations of Hedin and Stein in the Taklamakan