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Dahlak is an interesting example of profiting from an advantageous geo-strategic situa­
tion; and an example of how quickly an attained standing is reduced to nought.

One of the most fascinating examples of long-distance trade is the silk trade between
China and the Western World6. Almost everything known about the subject is based on
written sources. Roman materials contain reports on the regular traffic to India and Sera
(China) from the early 1st century I3C on.

At the end of the 2nd century BC, silk was first introduced in Persia; during the Parthian
Wiirs the Romans became acquainted with this Persian silk, as the Silk Road continued up to
Palmyra in Syria. Enormous quantities of the costly material flowed into the Roman
Imperium, as long as China reigned over the Western Countries (East Turkestan) — up to 1
AD. During the 75 year interregnum alternative routes were searched out; a southern route
ran to India and in the interregnum some 120 Roman ships sailed yearly to Indian ports.
Arikamedu is a well-known harbour on India’s East Coast, with large amounts of Roman
Arretina Pottery7. This fact documents Lamberg-Karlovsky’s “Central Place Trade” theory.
Enforced longer periods of stoppage, due to waiting for the monsoon winds, led to many
Roman sailors and traders remaining in India. Numerous Roman finds arc known between
India and China; on the other hand, Indian finds in the Roman Western World have the
character of occasional “souvenirs”. Trade goods — for which all these adventurous voyages
were made — can no longer be archaeologically determined.

Roman ships sailed directly to China in 166, 226 and 284 AD. However, the number of
Roman finds in Eastern Asia in this period arc few; they increase beginning with the 4th
century.

Trading expeditions were frequently carried out by Byzantines and Sassanids, howeyer
the only permanent traces remaining are gold coins in cases in Mongolia and Northern China.
Without the evidence given by the coins, a long period of trade along the Silk Road would not
be documented. The coins also indicate, that there were periods in which the northern land
route between East and West Asia was preferred — or perhaps was indeed the only route
open to traffic.

One thing can be determined regarding the silk trade over land routes : the Chinese
exporters never made contact with the final buyers. The farthest point reached by a Chinese
ambassador, Gan Ying, was probably the Iranian Coast. Here he was detained by the
Parthians. Usually the silk was passed on to the Bactrians in Pamir. Other than silk, no other
East Asian trade goods arrived in the West. The direct and frequent contacts of Western
seafarers do not seem to have led to trade of other articles than silk into the west. As previously
mentioned, Roman seafarers however left many traces of their presence in India and China...

Relating to the problem here discussed, this fact is of basic importance — whatever
prevailing conditions may have been, Roman seamen left cultural remains in transshipping
and final ports, attesting their physical presence. On the other hand, only silk — out of all
other possible trade goods — seems to have been transported back to home ports in the West,
with the exception of some few souvenirs.

In the order of reference Dilmun, Makan, Meluhha, are known on many cuniform tablets
since the middle of the 3rd millenium BC. Their fluctuating rank in importance for providing
Mesopotamia’s raw materials, has been discussed by various authors8. This standard view can
be differentiated; among other aspects, archaeology in the Gulf and East Arabian areas has
made much progress in the last decade, throwing new light on a clearer picture of conditions
prevailing.

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