Many things spread from one culture to another culture through trade routes: Religions New ideas about health and government New inventions (Technology) Disease The word that social scientists use to describe this exchange of ideas and products is CULTURAL DIF-FU-SION.

The Silk Road was the main inter-national highway for more than 2000 years.

The Taklimakan desert separated China from the Mediterranean world. The Himalayan Mountains separated China from India.

Himalayan Mountains

The Taklimakan Desert

It is an desert with extreme temperatures.

Traders went through a lot to get to China. A desert sand-storm:

How did they survive?

They used the best technology they had.

The Camel

A CAMEL’S EYE A camel has two rows of curly eyelashes that help clean the sand out of their eyes.

Camels have a third eyelid to keep the sand out of its eyes. The eyelid can be moved side to side ( like a windshield wiper.) It is also translucent (see through) so they can see in a sandstorm.

A CAMELS NOSTRILS Their nostrils can open and close to keep the sand out of their lungs. When they shut their nostrils, they can breathe through their mouths.

A CAMEL’S HUMP A camel can store up to 80 lbs. of fat in their hump. A camel can go without eating for 5-7 days. When a camel uses up this fat, the camel’s hump will shrink and hang over to one side.

A camels mouth Camels have 34 sharp teeth. Their teeth help them to eat rough and tough materials like dry, thorny bushes. Thy can use their teeth as dangerous weapons in a fight.

Camels have pads on the bottom of their feet which spread out, stopping the camel from sinking into the sand.

The traders didn’t go through the driest part of the desert. They followed the resources which lay at the base of the mountains.

There would be some run-off when the snow melted and some vegetation would grow.

The places that had natural resources became the trading centers. Some places had underground sources of water (Oases).

Let’s use Buddhism as our second example of how ideas spread during Medieval Times.

B.C.E. C.E. Before the Common Era Common Era  *  * Buddhism began in Sarnath, India around 600 B.C.(5 th century.) It spread throughout China over a 400 year period of time. (2 nd Century B.C.E. to 3 rd Century C.E. ) It took another 500 years to spread to Korea and Japan.

Let’s review Buddhism: It began in an area south of the Himalayan mountains. LAUSD says it began in Sarnath, India.

Besides silk, paper and other goods, the Silk Road carried another commodity which was equally significant in world history. Along with trade and migration, the world's oldest international highway was the vehicle which spread Buddhism through Central Asia.

stupa A stupa is a Buddhist holy place. Stupas are built to hold relics, or physical remains, of the Buddha. Buddhism is an ancient religion that began in India around 500 B.C. Buddhists believe a Hindu prince named Siddhartha Gautama became the Buddha after meditating under a bodhi (fig) tree for several years. This helped him attain the state of nirvana. He then began to teach others. Buddhism continued to spread after his death, eventually reaching China, Japan, Korea, and parts of Southeast Asia.

He saw that good deeds lead the way, from suffering to peace. Then he saw that the origin of suffering is being greedy, which arises from thinking that we are more important than everybody else. Finally, he became completely free from thinking in a way that caused him any suffering. This freedom is called nirvana. So, at the age of 35, Siddhartha became the Buddha, the Supreme Enlightened One. When the Buddha had sixty monks as his disciples (students) he held a meeting. He told them: "Go and spread the Dharma (this teaching) to other places, to give more people the chance of gaining freedom from suffering.

Buddhism is 2,500 years old2,500 years old Human beings are subject to desires and cravings, but even when we are able to satisfy these desires, the satisfaction is only temporary. Pleasure does not last; or if it does, it becomes monotonous. Even when we are not suffering from outward causes like illness or bereavement, we are unfulfilled, unsatisfied. This is the truth of suffering.

Greed and desire, represented in art by a rooster Ignorance or delusion, represented by a pig Hatred and destructive urges, Nirvana means extinguishing. - reaching enlightenment - means extinguishing the three fires of greed, delusion and hatred.

The world is full of suffering The desire is the root cause of worldly existence Conquering desire and attachments are the only way to happiness Conquering of desire must be done in the right way.