When East Meets West Symposium: Cross Cultural Exchange along the Maritime Silk Road

Announced by the University of Pittsburgh

Shipwrecks of the Maritime Silk Road: Understanding Material Evidence for Long-Distance Trade
Recent decades have yielded the recovery of multiple shipwrecks from the premodern trade routes spanning the greater Indian Ocean, known as the Maritime Silk Road. What can these wrecks reveal about the economic, religious, and cultural ties between the Persian Gulf, Southeast Asia, and China in the distant past? This talk will examine case studies from shipwrecks dating from the 9th-14th centuries to explore the cultural exchanges that connected the premodern world.

Mapping Medieval Waters: China and the Islamic World on the High Seas
This talk explores the dynamic maritime interactions between China and the Islamic Middle East during the medieval period, focusing on the rich exchanges facilitated by the Indian Ocean’s sea routes. As early as the 8th century, merchants from both regions were actively engaging across open waters, establishing a thriving maritime network that rivaled the more famous overland Silk Roads. This presentation will highlight key geographic accounts and maps that illustrate the development of these maritime routes and the innovations in shipbuilding and navigation that made long-distance trade possible.

Drawing from both literary and cartographic sources, the talk delves into how Chinese and Islamic geographers conceptualized the seas, reflecting broader cultural and intellectual exchanges that went beyond commerce. By comparing the works of geographers like Ibn Khurradādhbih, Jia Dan, and Zhou Qufei and a few surviving medieval world maps, it aims to demonstrate how these societies built shared understandings of sea space that shaped their interactions and contributed to premodern globalization. The session will also consider the legacy of this vibrant maritime connectivity, emphasizing its significance in a world history often dominated by narratives of European expansion. The talk seeks to make these complex topics accessible and engaging for students, inviting them to consider the long history of cross-cultural exchange on the high seas.