'The Silk Road or Silk Route was an ancient network of trade routes. It is a good example of vibrant pre-modern trade and cultural links between distant parts of the world. The name ‘silk routes’ points to the importance of West-bound Chinese silk cargoes along this route. Chinese pottery also travelled the same route, as did textiles and spices from India and Southeast Asia. In return, precious metals – gold and silver – flowed from Europe to Asia. They are known to have existed since before the Christian Era and thrived almost till the fifteenth century.