Historical clues

Guided by this theory, the team discovered a number of nomadic settlement sites in the Samarkand Basin in 2014, an area an archaeological team from Italy had studied for 15 years without finding them.

The process involves carrying out multiple surveys over wide areas, and based on the results, conducting small-scale, more precise excavations. Wang says that the surveys are vital to familiarizing them with the environment and distribution of remains, and to improve understanding of previous findings.

"With the understanding accumulated from surveys, we can find the blanks in previous studies, then contribute our efforts, fill in the blanks, and solve key problems. In this way, almost each excavation leads to a breakthrough," Wang says.

He says that when he and his team work with Central Asian scholars on archaeological surveys, they are often divided into two groups, one composed of local scholars, who visit villagers to find out if they have discovered any artifacts, and a group of Chinese scholars who survey the surrounding land, or part of it.

"This way, we give full play to each other's strengths and our cooperation often leads to important discoveries," Wang says.

During the 15 years working in Central Asia, the team has worked with all five of the region's countries. Now, its studies are extending to West, South and North Asia.

In 2023, Northwest University set up the Collaborative Research Centre for Archaeology of the Silk Roads to enhance archaeological work with countries along the Silk Road. It has also opened the China-Central Asia Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Human and Environment Research in Uzbekistan to improve studies of cultural heritage and geology along the Silk Road.

According to Wang, cultural exchanges in Central Asia and the present-day Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in China actually started much earlier than Zhang's time.

Important archaeological evidence for the process exists in the form of wheat and barley, which originated in West Asia, were brought to the Yellow River Basin about 4,000 years ago. During the same period, millet from China traveled to Central Asia, the Indus Valley, West Asia, North Africa and Europe, according to archaeological findings.

"This means that much before the creation of the Silk Road, communication and transport between the East and the West already existed. This is the period also believed to have been when early Chinese civilization originated," Wang says. "As a result, communication played a role in the formation and evolution of Chinese civilization.

"Studying Chinese civilization requires understanding civilizations in other parts of the world. This is the significance of engaging in cultural exchange and mutual learning between civilizations," he adds.