Eurasia · Classical / Medieval
The Long Thread
Not one road. A thousand bargains between empires.
Silk, horses, glass, and religions move farther than any single caravan. Zhang Qian opens a corridor. Venice and the Ottomans inherit its last chapters.
PG · c. 130 BCE–1453 · 3 episodes · discovery
Episodes
Episode 1 · 16 min · 138–113 BCE
The Envoy Who Did Not Come Home on Time
Zhang Qian is sent for allies and returns with a continent.
Episode 2 · 15 min · 1st–8th c.
Things That Travel Better Than Armies
Buddhism, glass, and disease use the same passes.
Episode 3 · 14 min · 15th century
When the Sea Wins
A city falls. The bargains find water.