Cultural Contacts along the Silk Road during the Early Bronze Age

It is likely that the Silk Road has played a significant role even before Han Dynasty. The cultural contacts between China and Central Asia can be traced back to the early Bronze Age. The early interaction and integration of Eastern and Western cultures may also occur in this time period. The migration and exchanges of different groups and different cultures were affected the formation of Chinese civilization with diversity characteristics. The geographic areas discussed in the session mainly cover the Northwest Zone, especially Xinjiang, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, Western Shaanxi and Western Inner Mongolia, central Asia. The highlights of the discussed time period include the late Neolithic to Bronze Age.