Steppe Route
| 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). Trans-Eurasian trade through the Steppe Route preceded the conventional date for the origins of the Silk Road by at least two millennia.