Ecology and Empire Along the Ancient Silk Roads

http://www.esri.com/mapmuseum/mapbook_gallery/volume19/conservation11.html

Ecology and Empire Along the Ancient Silk Roads
http://www.esri.com/mapmuseum/mapbook_gallery/volume19/conservation11.html
Seattle, Washington, USA
By Rob Harris
Contact
Rob Harris
rob--at--rob-harris.net
Software
ArcGIS 8.3 and Windows XP
Printer HP Designjet 5500
Data Source(s)
National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration/National Aeronautics and Space Administration Pathfinder Program, United Nations Environment Programme, U.S. Geological Survey, and historical and archaeological monographs and reports

[Elevation, Mean Annual Precipitation, Soil Production Index)
http://www.esri.com/mapmuseum/mapbook_gallery/volume19/images/cons_11a.jpg

The goal of this map is to provide a way to visualize the ecological context of the Silk Roads. The broad ecological zones of Asia and Europe - the steppes, deserts, montane forests, and alluvial floodplains - are approximated by modern land cover. Traversing these distinct ecological zones is a complex set of medieval trade routes that connected major cities and empires of the day. By examining the complex geography of these trade routes, the map seeks to enrich our understanding of the relationship between ecology, economy, and empire during one of the most important periods in human history.

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