| Eurasian Steppe Route | |
|---|---|
| Precursor of the Silk Road | |
 View of the Kazakhstan steppe | |
| Route information | |
| Time period | Upper paleolithic to dynastic ages after ca. 2000 BCE |
| Cultural significance | Influences stretched west to east from the Mediterranean to the Korean peninsula and Japan |
| Known for | facilitating trade and cultural exchange between nomadic steppe communities |
| Related routes | Silk Road, Oasis Route, Maritime Route |
The Steppe Route was an ancient overland route through the Eurasian Steppe that was an active precursor of the Silk Road. Silk and horses were traded as key commodities; secondary trade included furs, weapons, musical instruments, precious stones (turquoise, lapis lazuli, agate, nephrite) and jewels. This route extended for approximately 10,000 km (6,200 mi).[1] Trans-Eurasian trade through the Steppe Route preceded the conventional date for the origins of the Silk Road by at least two millennia.[2]
- ^ "The Horses of the Steppe: The Mongolian Horse and the Blood-Sweating Stallions | Silk Road in Rare Books". dsr.nii.ac.jp. Retrieved 2017-02-22.
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